Extinguished Willard Peak Fire raises flooding concerns

VIDEO: With the much-needed rain comes the possibility of flooding. Thatโ€™s especially true for the people who live near the Willard Peak Fire burn scar. Today, neighbors placed 300 sandbags that the city provided along the mountainside in hopes of preventing any possible runoff from making it to the homes below.

Just a week and a half ago, more than 100 homes were evacuated in North Ogden as strong winds pushed the Willard Peak Fire down the mountainside toward nearby neighborhoods. โ€œIt started down there,โ€ Alex Webb can be heard saying in a video he took from his home showing the thick smoke produced by the fire. He continued. โ€œIt moved up the canyon and itโ€™s basically moving towards us.โ€

When firefighters extinguished the fire, it had burned a total of 577 acres and came within feet of homes. โ€œIt was like a wall of red,โ€ homeowner Allison LaCross recalled. โ€œIโ€™ve never been so scared in my life. Iโ€™ve never been so scared to lose our home.โ€ However, LaCross and all others who lived nearby were able to breathe a sigh of relief the day after the fire sparked because not a single home was lost. โ€œThey did such an outstanding job helping everyone and stopping these fires,โ€ added LaCross.

However, with monsoon weather sweeping the state today, LaCross, neighbors and community members met up at Josh Sawyerโ€™s house (who lives directly across the street from LaCross). โ€œAs of right now things look good,โ€ Sawyer told ABC4 as he stood on charred vegetation just feet away from his property line.

KTVX-TV ABC 4 Salt Lake City

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