The Dollar Ridge Fire is mostly tamed but the scorched earth near the Strawberry River and the Camelot resort in Duchesne County led to another challenge Sunday — flash flooding.
About an inch of rain fell in an hour, causing the river to rise quickly. The muddy, debris-filled water trapped about 50 people. Sheriff’s deputies and county road workers helped, as did the firefighters still stationed there to knock down the last hotspots from the devastating blaze that destroyed 74 homes, 131 camping trailers and 25 cars.
"Given the damage done by the Dollar Ridge Fire, and the slope of the terrain in the burn scar, any amount of rain has the possibility to trigger flash flooding and debris flows," said Duchesne County Sheriff David Boren. "People need to know this and take the proper precautions."
A county news release said 30 adults, 13 kids and some pets were assisted near the Camelot resort, while nearly a dozen others were retrieved in the Timber Canyon area.
The road west of Camelot is closed indefinitely, the sheriff said.
The Dollar Ridge Fire started on July 1 and has burned nearly 57,000 acres between the Strawberry and Starvation reservoirs, making it this year’s most damaging wildfire. It is now 93 percent contained. Firefighters have said the blaze was human caused, but have not released any specifics.
