Fire on Navajo Mountain steadily grows

NAVAJO MOUNTAIN, Utah

A growing wildfire burning on the western side of Navajo Mountain is raising alarm among residents and officials, as shifting winds and rugged terrain complicate containment efforts.

Alta Isaac, the community service coordinator for the Navajo Mountain Chapter, confirmed Friday that the fire appeared to be intensifying.

“Right now, the fire is behind the mountain on the west side. The community is over on the east side,” she said. “I believe it’s right in where the canyon area is.”

Isaac said the blaze may have begun in a remote, brush-filled canyon where a similar fire burned last August.

“That same area near there, there was a fire that started too,” she said, recalling how forestry crews responded last year by using helicopters to drop water from a nearby lake.

“All the forestry department did was keep an eye on it; they were just waiting for it to burn off.”

The current fire may follow a similar path, but Isaac warned that it could quickly escalate if it reaches the base of the mountain.

“I think it’s working towards the mountain’s base,” she said. “If it comes up, it’s gonna probably be more major than it is right now.”

Isaac added that smoke became visible earlier in the day after she initially told a colleague there were no signs of fire.

“Just within that 30 minutes, we started seeing the smoke coming out,” she said. “That was like about a couple hours ago.”

The area’s terrain makes it difficult to monitor or respond to the fire on foot.

“It’s a rugged area,” Isaac said. “There’s no trail. There’s probably a trail, but I don’t believe there’s one that has been used for many years.”

As of Friday afternoon, no official cause for the fire had been reported. Isaac said the fire was first brought to local attention only hours earlier.

“We just learned about it about four hours ago,” she said. “Some people from the Page area probably saw it and then started informing the chapter.”

Though the fire remains on the opposite side of the mountain from where most residents live, Isaac stressed the need for swift action before the weekend.

“It’s better to act on it now before it gets awful,” she said. “Our office will be closed, so there’s still some daylight on acting on it.”

As of late afternoon, helicopters were not yet visible in the area.

“No, I’m inside right now,” Isaac said when asked if she could see firefighting aircraft.

She expressed concern for vulnerable residents affected by smoke or sudden evacuation.

“We have some people using oxygen here,” she said. “Or medical issues.”

An official at BIA Forestry said fire crews were en route to the fire. Approximately 20 acres have burned to date.

Chapter officials said that Navajo Mountain High School may become the command post for the fire. They added that the chapter could also assist fire crews if needed.

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