Home fire units took back command of the Iron and Cherry Fires as crews approached full containment. The two fires burned more than 7CO,000 acres near Eureka and Mammoth.
As of Friday morning, officials reported that the Iron Fire reached 98% containment, while the Cherry Fire reached 93% containment.
The Great Basin Complex Incident Management Team 3 stated that fire crews began repair work in the Iron Fire area and shifted resources to address the Cherry Fire. Because the Cherry Fire was nearing full containment, crews also started patrolling the area and performing repair work.
According to the Great Basin Complex Incident Management Team 3, Utah Forestry, Fire and State Lands took command of the Iron Fire, while the Bureau of Land Management took command of the Cherry Fire.
At the peak of the fires, evacuation orders were in place for residents in Eureka, Mammoth, Silver City, Lofgreen, and Vernon Reservoir. While impacted residents were allowed to return home, several roads including Hiskey Road, Cherry Creek Road, and Elberta Slant Road remained closed.
Firefighters assigned to the two fires were notified on Thursday of possible lead exposure from heavily contaminated soil near a historic mine site within the burn area. Officials noted that while long-term health problems typically follow years of exposure, short-term exposure can cause symptoms such as fatigue, nausea, and stomach pain.
