VIDEOS: Over 150 homes and businesses remain threatened due to the Willard Peak Fire in North Ogden that began Wednesday afternoon and has grown to 754 acres, forcing evacuations in the area that remain in effect. Evacuation notices continue for those living east of 1050 East and north of 2850 North. Residents won’t be allowed to return to their homes until 5 p.m. Thursday at the earliest.
For some residents, the evacuations were a rush out the door. “It was instant panic,” one resident told FOX 13 News. “Like, I just told the kids, grab your stuff, grab the phone cords, grab everything, you know, grab your brothers and sisters and go down to the church.” Others stated that their first thoughts were to grab family heirlooms, “…. my father was a jeweler and he had some pictures of my family that are irreplaceable that nobody else has pictures of.”
As of 7:45 a.m., Thursday, no structures have been lost, according to fire officials; however, they did say the fire got very close to several homes. “We’re all feeling the stress,” North Ogden City posted to its Facebook page. “Whether you’re on the front lines, helping neighbors, or just trying to make sense of what’s going on, please remember, kindness matters. A lot.”
Sparked from a vehicle fire, the wildfire was originally said to have been threatening 15-20 structures, but that number grew as quickly as the fire itself. Ground crews from several fire departments responded, and helicopters and air tankers have been dropping water and fire retardant. While over 30,000 residents were without power near the fire on Wednesday afternoon, that number has diminished significantly, with most residents already having seen their power restored.
