- A group of firefighters from Utah are on the ground in California helping to fight the wildfires.
- The Utah firefighters are expected to stay in the area for 14 days.
- The crews from Utah are working to make sure the fire doesn’t start back up in areas it has already passed through.
Utah
How Utah firefighters responded to the call to help with the California wildfires
A group of 64 firefighters from Utah responded to California’s call for frontline help with last week’s destructive wildfires, and find themselves on the ground in the Malibu area working to prevent the large destructive Palisades fire from spreading.
“I think the biggest thing for a lot of us is just feeling like we’re maybe on some kind of a movie set, or some kind of apocalyptic movie. The sheer destruction is, kind of overwhelming,” said Kelly Bird, a spokesperson from Unified Fire who is in California with crews of Utah firefighters.
Last Thursday, the group of firefighters and mechanics from various agencies in Utah met together and made their way to California to join the fight. The group drove through the night and arrived in California Friday morning.
The Utah crews are working to help contain the Palisades fire, the biggest and most destructive of the fires burning in Southern California.
What have the Utah firefighters been doing in California?
After they arrived Friday, the Utah crews were assigned to work on the fire line in Encino. They worked in a defensive, structure protection position, preparing for the Palisades fire to hit that area. This work focused on protecting residences, finding hazards, checking water pressure in hydrants and other prep work.
These firefighters work 24 hours on and 24 off, so after working through Saturday they had Sunday off. On Monday morning the Utah crews were were reassigned to the Malibu area.
Bird said they were assigned to residential areas that the fire had already burned through and wiped out pretty significantly. There they did mop up work, “going through the different residences and looking for hot spots, looking for anything that was smoldering and smoking, and just making sure everything was fully extinguished.”
They then spent Monday night on patrol, ready to tackle any flames that started due to the strong winds picking back up.
Tuesday is another day off for the Utah firefighters and they will be reassigned again on Wednesday.
What life is like for these Utah firefighters
Bird said residents in the area have taken very good care of these Utah firefighters, with plenty of food being donated as they help fight the fire.
“People find us wherever we are, and they bring us catered meals, they bring us burritos, they bring us snacks, granola bars, cases of water, cases of drinks, and it’s just non-stop,” Bird said. “We’re just glad and happy that we can provide that little bit of relief for them.”
The Utah crews were originally going to be housed in a Hotel in downtown Los Angeles but then were moved to Santa Monica.
The firefighters are staying in an office building, taking over space on a vacant third floor. Portable bathrooms and showers have been brought in for the crews to use. The crews have their own sleeping gear, they have taken their own spots on the floor with the firefighters sleeping in sleeping bags and on cots.
Utah firefighters shared what the destruction from the fires is like
Bird said that the biggest difference between this and other fires he’s worked is the amount of urban areas that have been impacted, as most wildfires happen in the mountains, further away from cities. The amount of destruction from these fires is unlike anything he’s seen before.
“Just the magnitude of and volume of people that have been impacted, is definitely impactful for us,” Bird said.
He shared that as they were working, they came across one house that had been destroyed that they could tell had been a very nice house.
They looked it up and saw it was advertised $12 million home in a nice location, Bird described his realization at that moment.
“This was somebody’s … their everything. This was something they had worked for and built and enjoyed, and now it’s gone,” Bird said. “And you know, that happens over and over and over again, with all these people here losing their homes and losing all their personal possessions.”
According to Bird, the fire is dying down but he expects the Utah group will be in California through the entirety of their 14 day deployment.
The conditions in California with dry conditions, low humidity and high winds made it the perfect place for fires to ignite and spread rapidly.
“Once those winds and fire mix, there’s there’s just no stopping it,” Bird said. “So the reason why it wiped things out is that just it overwhelmed the whole system, and they weren’t able to get a handle on it because the winds just blew it from one structure to the next in a matter of seconds.”
Utah
Large police presence responds to the area of Crestwood Drive in South Ogden
SOUTH OGDEN, Utah (ABC4) — There is a heavy police presence in the area of Harrison Blvd in South Ogden. ABC4 is working to learn more.
While police have not confirmed any information, ABC4 has acquired footage from a bystander that shows law enforcement detaining one individual. The individual can be seen handcuffed and without a shirt.
Several residents have also reported seeing over a dozen police vehicles heading to the area and reported hearing gunshots on social media.
Courtesy: Kade Garner // KTVX
Multiple law enforcement agencies responded to the scene, including Davis County SWAT, Weber County Sheriff’s Department, and Morgan County Sheriff’s Department. Officers from Riverton Police Department, Roy Police Department, Clinton Police Department, and Layton police Department all responded to the scene.
Law enforcement also used several drones and several armored vehicles responded to the scene. Additionally, it appears at least one person was transported from the scene by ambulance
Courtesy: Randy Ferrin
At this time, law enforcement has not confirmed any details regarding this incident. However, they appeared to have cleared from the scene.
This is a developing story. ABC4 will update this post as more information becomes available.
Utah
Penalties to be enforced if Trump’s face covered on national park passes, reports say
SALT LAKE CITY — Those using a new national park pass who want to enjoy Utah’s “Mighty Five” better do so with President Donald Trump’s face perfectly intact, or you might pay a literal price.
The new annual park passes, which debuted on Jan. 1, feature Trump’s image alongside that of George Washington. At the same time as the release, the Department of the Interior reportedly updated its rules to ensure Trump’s face remains free and clear.
According to the Washington Post, the updated “Void if Altered” policy prohibits anyone from defacing the pass or covering up any images or information on the cards. Visitors found by rangers to have altered a pass by any means will be ordered to return it to its original condition or possibly be charged a regular entrance fee.
SFGate reported the policy originally prohibited any alteration of the signature portion of the pass, with the updated policy including the front of the card, with a warning that “writing on it or adding stickers or other coverings” is no longer allowed.
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‘History deserves honesty,’ anti-DEI mandates at national parks include Zion gift shop
Many believe the updated policy is in direct response to the large pushback over the inclusion of Trump, leaving people to share creative ways to hide the president’s image from passes, including stickers and sleeves.
Along with the suggestions on how to hide Trump’s image, a nonprofit environmental group has filed a lawsuit claiming its design did not comply with legislation that requires public participation in the selection.
Utah
Two killed, six wounded in shooting outside Mormon church in Utah
Two people were killed, and at least six were wounded when gunfire erupted outside a funeral at a Mormon church in Utah on Wednesday night, according to authorities and reports.
Eight people were hit by gunfire when shots rang out outside The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Redwood Road in Salt Lake City around 7:30 p.m., Salt Lake City Police Department spokesperson Glen Mills told the Salt Lake City Tribune.
Two people were killed, and six people were injured in the shooting that occurred outside in the church’s parking lot as dozens were attending a funeral service inside.
Of the six wounded, three individuals are in critical condition, the Salt Lake City Police Department posted on X. All of the victims were adults.
There were no suspects in custody as of late Wednesday night, and it is not immediately clear if there were multiple gunmen involved. A motive was also unknown.
However, police said they have obtained solid leads in the investigation and are working to locate individuals involved in the shooting.
“We believe this was not a random incident,” Salt Lake City Police Chief Brian Redd told reporters.
The shooting was not believed to be targeting a religion, Redd clarified.
Roughly 100 law enforcement vehicles swarmed the area in the aftermath of the gunfire as helicopters flew overhead.
The area around the Mormon church remained closed into the evening as authorities urged the public to stay clear of the still active scene.
“This should never have happened outside a place of worship. This should never have happened outside a celebration of life,” said Mayor Erin Mendenhall.
The Salt Lake City Police Department did not immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
The incident remains under investigation.
With Post wires.
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