Sunday, 9:10 a.m.
The Silver King Fire in south-central Utah burned approximately 2,800 acres as of Sunday morning, Marysvale Fire Chief Jon Christensen said.
Marysvale, a community of roughly 400 people in Piute County, is the closest town to the fire, which is believed to have been caused by lightning.
First responders were hopeful that additional support would arrive soon, including aerial resources.
“We’re supposed to be getting a lot more assets,” Christensen said. “This is a major concern for the region.”
Christensen said Utah Forestry, Fire and State Lands will be the lead responder on the fire. The Tribune reached out to the agency on Sunday but did not immediately hear back.
Help from other communities has already arrived.
“It is heartwarming to see a truck pull up,” Christensen said. “And another truck pull up. Aurora. Salina. Everyone showing up, it’s humbling.”
There was no evacuation order issued as of Sunday morning.
“We’ve been checking in on folks, making sure they’re OK,” Christensen said. “Making sure that if they have to go, we’re as ready as we can be. But we are a small town of 400 people and unfortunately most of my fire is also EMTs and search and rescue. We’re all wearing so many hats.”
Saturday, 4 p.m.
The Silver King Fire in south-central Utah reached close to 1,200 acres Saturday afternoon, according to Marysvale Fire Chief Jon Christensen.
“And it was 700 last night,” Christensen said.
The wildfire, which began on Friday and is believed to have been sparked by lightning, seemed to be spreading rapidly, now within 4 miles of the town limits of Marysvale.
No casualties have been reported, but the chief said his main concern right now is the wind.
“We’re hoping the wind hits the fire in the wrong direction and not headed towards Marysvale,” Christensen said.
While houses are safely distanced away from the town limits, the chief emphasized the potential threat the fire would pose to the town’s watershed.
“We would have problems with our water supply,” Christensen said. “So that’s kind of my first concern is that it doesn’t get in there.”
(Marysvale Fire Department via Facebook) The Silver King Fire near Marysvale, Utah is reportedly at nearly 1,000 acres as of Saturday morning.
A red flag warning has been issued, as dry and windy weather conditions hold high potential to intensify the fire. And the upcoming wind forecast does not bear good news for the town of Marysvale, either.
“The wind is coming from the northwest direction, which is less than ideal,” Sam Webber, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said.
On a flat terrain, the winds would push the fires Southeast and and toward Marysvale. According to the NWS forecast, the winds from the Northwest are expected to persist until at least Sunday, and may start to lighten up by Monday.
“There’s currently one crew and then four engines on it with also miscellaneous overhead deployed at the scene to combat the fire,” said Kylee Stott, a public information officer with Utah Forestry, Fire and State Lands.
Additional crews, engines, and aircraft are soon to join the efforts, she said.
