Single Publication

Thompson Ridge Fire Update
Thursday, August, 17, 2023​

FIRE SITUATION

Firefighters on the Thompson Ridge Fire are making progress, increasing containment to 20%. 

The Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) was utilized yesterday to identify sporadic heat signatures across the northeast portion of the fire. Crews were able to assess and take action on any spots that threatened the fireline. Thanks to this technology, fire managers were able to declare more containment in this area. The UAS will be used on the southeast perimeter today.

Firefighters on both the southwest and northwest edges have been able to spread out to continue building and reinforcing the indirect line. There is a lot of ground to cover, and it will take time to make their way around the fire perimeter building this indirect line. 

Minimal amounts of rain fell over much of the Thompson Ridge Fire the last few days. More intermittent storms are predicted, which will keep the temperatures cool, keeping fire behavior moderate. 

Today marks the 17th anniversary of the Devil’s Den Fire, that took the life of local firefighter Spencer Koyle. The Incident Management Team and firefighters on the Thompson Ridge Fire had a moment of silence in his honor.

EVACUATIONS: None at this time.

CLOSURES: Please refer to closure order. Please note that SR-153, Kent’s Lake Road (137), Upper and Lower Kent’s Lake, Little Res. Campground, Anderson Meadow, and LeBaron remain open at this time. Use caution in and around these areas, as you will see an influx of both ground and aviation equipment working to suppress the fire.

STATUS

Start Date: August 4, 2023

Incident Type: Wildfire

Size: 7,287 acres

Cause: Lightning

Containment: 20%

Location: 10 miles southeast of Beaver, Utah

Terrain: Steep, rugged terrain in remote areas transitioning to rolling pinyon juniper hills

Structures Threatened: None

RESOURCES

Engines: 9

Water Tenders: 2

Crews: 12

Helicopters: 6

Dozers: 1

Total Personnel: 461