Traverse Fire Evacuations To Be Reevaluated After Storm Passes

LEHI, Utah – Evacuation orders for Lehi neighborhoods – Autumn Hills and Spring Dew Lane – have been lifted after a wildfire swept through the foothills of Traverse Mountain near the Utah/Salt Lake County border.

Shorty after, officials lifted evacuation orders in the Maple Hollow neighborhood.

Residents in those areas are now able to return home.

Firefighters first got the call of flames getting dangerously to homes in Lehi late Saturday night.

Officials have confirmed the fire was started by fireworks. They said they had a suspect who was cooperating. Lehi City has been under fireworks restrictions.

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Traverse Fire Quick Facts:

• Fire began around 1 p.m. Saturday
• Caused by fireworks; suspect cooperating
• Initially estimated at 1000 acres; now at 450 acres
• Neighborhoods in Lehi, Draper evacuated.

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A strong wind storm moved through the area, fanning the flames and spreading them quickly towards homes.

UPDATE: Official aerial mapping finds about 450 acres were burned. Initial estimates were at about 1000 but authorities say they got a better view this morning. @KSL5TV

— Garna Mejia KSL (@GarnaMejiaKSL) June 28, 2020

Video from Chopper 5 Sunday morning showed scorched earth right up to the back fences of several homes.

Residents were ordered to evacuate in a one-quarter-mile radius from Vialetto Way to Annuvolato Way on the northeast side of Lehi. Residents on Autumn Hills Boulevard and Spring View Lane were also been asked to evacuate.

Aerial view from fire officials of the #TraverseFire on Traverse Mountain between Lehi and Draper. Estimated size is around 500 acres. Evacuations remain in place. More info: https://t.co/oQPwh1D4sd pic.twitter.com/Fk8NunQY6K

— KSL 5 TV (@KSL5TV) June 28, 2020

Because of the speed of the fire’s forward progress and a concern that the fire could quickly move up the mountain and over the top, several Draper neighborhoods in the SunCrest area were asked to prepare for possible evacuations.

Those included the Maple Hollow, Brookside, and Deer Ridge neighborhoods. By 3:19 a.m., an evacuation order was issued for the Maple Hollow neighborhood.

Around 11 a.m., Draper officials said they were reevaluating the evacuation order, although nothing had been decided.

Chief Jeremy Craft with the Lehi Fire Department said the fire died down overnight as the winds let up, and some moisture overnight helped set the flames down.

Officials from the Utah Division of Natural Resources said there were about 200 crews working the fire from multiple agencies.

They set up containment lines and were waiting to see what happened with another strong storm expected to move through to see if any hotspots flared up from the wind.

After the storm passes, they expected to reevaluate the evacuation orders.

Incredible images from last nights #TraverseFire amazing how quickly things can change and homes and lives threatened. Thanks be to #firefighters and those who sounded the alarm knocking on doors! @KSL5TV pic.twitter.com/JerkCvWAHd

— Dan Rascon (@TVDanRascon) June 28, 2020