The Pole Canyon Fire started on July 15th, 2020 on Oquirrh Mountain around 1:30 PM. The Oquirrh Mountain is on the west side of Cedar Valley Utah in Utah County.
The fire was thought to be started by construction machinery. The fire started and quickly spread through the field heading south. The fire then proceeded to head on its trajectory south, as the wind picked it up and took it southwest now heading though the fields and now up the mountain as well. The homes and residents of the White Hills neighborhood prepared for
the fire to possibly engulf their community, as the firefighters showed up. The firefighters seemed to fight the blaze coming at it from the northern side first, then as the fire progressed south, more firefighters showed up to fight it from all sides.
The embers burned high and fast, some flames seemed to get around 30 feet high. The fire seemed to be engulfing everything it came across, as the community watched the smoke and flames scorch across the field and mountain the smoke turned whiter and hopes were raised, then the smoke turned black as night and the hopes were dashed. The closest homes, and streets to the fire were put on evacuation. As some people packed their cars with the important essentials others grouped together to cut the closet vegetation and trees around their homes.
The fire still blazing as a single-engine airplane arrived, most people believed it to be a spotter plane, as the community watched the plane fly by a few times confirming the fact that the plane is a spotter for the firefighters. The forth pass the plane dipped very low to the fire, (around 30ft) the belly of the plane, and the fire retardant spilled out in front of the fire line.
The blaze surged on as the firefighters fought hard to put it out. Most of the firefighters are coming from a fire next to Redwood road by the military base Camp Williams. The ground support of sheriffs from Cedar Fort and Eagle Mountain rushed over as well as the Police force from Saratoga Springs. As the small single-engine airplane did all it could, another four-engine plane showed up with around 3 times the amount of retardant. The two airplanes working hard a helicopter showed up with a massive bucket of water to throw on the flames.
As the fire was being fought back by three air support and almost one hundred firefighters working hard, some of the residents of White Hills finished packing their bags and left their homes not sure if they would be able to return to a standing house with the rest of their things. The small 109 home neighborhood and the 11 out-skirted homes to the south of the neighborhood all threatened by the Pole Canyon Fire. The water tower on the lower section of the mountain behind the neighborhood also threatened by the burn.
The fire blazed up the mountain as another air support joined in, this one is a small two-engine airplane dropping fire retardant as well. Making air support now a four-team job as well as the ground support of firefighters. The ground support plowed though the land with bulldozers to assist in the prevention of the burn. The fire line was dug along the east and north side of the fire making it protect against the neighborhood and the scouting camp. As the larger four-engine plane flew by once again, it does something very different from dipping low to the ground and dropping fire retardant. Instead, the plane stayed high in the sky and four smoker jumpers leapt from the plane, deploying their parachutes just a few moments later.
The fire went late into the night and was put out that same night.
The blaze was claimed to have burned a little over 488 acres of land. The many dedicated workers did amazing jobs of fighting the fire and protecting the community. Everyone in the community is extremely grateful to all those who helped put out the Pole Canyon Fire and prevent the loss of many homes.
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