Home Care In New Harmony, UT

Harmony Ridge Wildfire

A human-caused wildfire in southern Utah is now contained thanks to a quick response from air and ground resources, says a fire official. As of 9 p.m., the Harmony Ridge Fire, located at mile marker 42 just off Interstate-15 east of New Harmony, was 70 percent contained and is no longer a threat to any structures in the area. That was not the case about two hours prior when voluntary evacuations were in place and several homes were threatened.

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NEW HARMONY, Utah — A human-caused wildfire in southern Utah is now contained thanks to a quick response from air and ground resources, says a fire official.

As of 9 p.m., the Harmony Ridge Fire, located at mile marker 42 just off Interstate-15 east of New Harmony, was 70 percent contained and is no longer a threat to any structures in the area. That was not the case about two hours prior when voluntary evacuations were in place and several homes were threatened.

“Between air and the guys on the ground, is what helped wrap this up pretty quickly,” Paula Imlay told KSL5TV.

The fire was called in around 5 p.m. on Thursday. Two airplanes and one bucketed helicopter were immediately dispatched to the scene to create a barrier for the fire to run into in order to give ground crews the ability to safely get it under control. Initially, the fire was threatening 5 primary/secondary homes and communication towers and evacuations were voluntary.

“We don’t want to put firefighters in front of an active moving fire,” Imlay said explaining why air resources were used on the 3-5 acre fire.

A human-caused wildfire in southern Utah is now contained thanks to a quick response from air and ground resources, says a fire official. (KSL5TV)

Buckets of water were dropped on the fire from above by the helicopter, as well as lines of retardant were dropped by the fixed-wing aircrafts.

This approach allows for firefighters to create a line of defense against the fire, compared to battling the fire alongside it as it burns.

At this time the cause of the fire is under investigation.

Imlay urged the public to avoid the area to allow fire crews to finish moping up the fire.

Fire officials say record-breaking winter snowfall and a wet spring have built up lush vegetation in the mountains and by July or August the hillsides will dry out and wildfire danger will be high.

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NEW HARMONY — The children gather in the corner of a room in the New Harmony Branch Library to stare through plastic containers at curious creatures. In one, a Mojave Desert tortoise crawls toward the edge, attempting to climb out unsuccessfully.

In the other, a black, red and white Sonoran mountain king snake rests as tiny fingers tap at the sides of its enclosure. Adults with wide smiles remind the children that their tapping could scare the animal.

They gathered Wednesday on a blue rug, with a sun in the middle and the alphabet in a rainbow pattern along the outside. Ammon Teare, the outreach coordinator at the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve reads “Life in the Slow Lane: A Desert Tortoise Tale.”

After the story, Teare shows his audience the reptiles, sharing facts about their habitat and behavior. The small tortoise is younger than 5 years old, he says, and takes out a large, empty shell of a much older, now dead, specimen to compare sizes.

Teare removes the small tortoise from its enclosure. With small hands and large eyes, the children pet its shell and feel his feet. Teare assures the attendees that its claws are not dangerous.

“They’re just mostly for moving dirt around,” he says.

The snake, whose name is Sierra, stays in its container.

Red Cliffs Desert Reserve Outreach

The Red Cliffs Desert Reserve conducts educational visits and outreach presentations to teach the public about the animals and plants within Southern Utah that they may not be as familiar with or afraid of, like the king snake, Teare said. They want people to know “what the positives are.”

“Some people might see a king snake and be really afraid of it and want to hurt it or chase it away,” he said. “In reality, they’re native to this area, and they have a lot of really helpful benefits including taking care of pests and keeping rattlesnakes away.”

Kingsnakes can live in higher-elevation environments and be found in areas such as the Pine Valley Mountains and Zion National Park.

They are not venomous but mimic coral snakes that “scare away” potential predators. Teare said there are no coral snakes in Utah, but if a person found themselves in a situation where they would need to tell the two apart, there is a rhyme they can reference.

“Red on yellow — deadly fellow,” he said. “Red on black — friend of Jack.”

The red and yellow bands on coral snakes will touch, whereas kingsnakes will have black stripes between them, Teare said

The reserve also wants the public to understand that tortoises are “an integral part” of Southern Utah’s natural environment, Teare said. And people can learn how to survive in the desert from the animal’s adaptations.

“And just making people care about the area that we live in and want to take care of it,” he said.

Teare said he hopes the presentation excites the children to learn about the world.

“Because if they carry that excitement with them as adults, then they’ll be curious and they want to learn more and they want to be engaged and maybe give back,” he said.

Susan Jenson, the children’s services librarian who is in charge of story time, said she appreciates anyone who is “willing to come in” while praising Teare’s work.

“I think it’s great for the kids to be introduced to these kinds of things at an early age,” she said.

Educational and outreach programs for schools and community groups that include live animals are provided by Washington County and Snow Canyon State Park for various age groups, according to the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve website.

For more information, contact the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve at 435-256-6312 or Snow Canyon State Park at 435-628-2255.

To learn more about the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, click here. To learn more about the New Harmony Branch Library, visit its location at 34 South 2900 East, New Harmony, or click here to view its website.

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IRON COUNTY, Utah — Flooding was seen in parts of Cedar City Monday afternoon as the National Weather Service issued flash flood warnings for parts of Washington, Iron and Kane County, including the southeastern section of Zion National Park.

The NWS later issued a new Flash Flood Warning for areas in and north of New Harmony, lasting until 9 p.m.

National park officials reported flooding in both the main canyon of Zion and tributaries feeding into the canyon from the east.

(Video below shows flooding on Fiddler Canyon Road in Cedar City / Courtesy: Kat Ortega)

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An urban and small stream flood advisory was in effect for Cedar City through Enoch until 6 p.m. Video posted to social media by Jesse Harris showed water rushing down a street around 2:30 p.m. in the Ashdown Forest subdivision in Cedar City.

The NWS reports Cedar City received over 2.5 inches of rain, while areas northeast of Pinto were deluged with 6 inches over a three hour period Monday afternoon.

The East Fork of the Virgin River was placed under the warning near the park. Officials advised the public to "seek higher ground if recreating in these areas and do not attempt to cross through floodwaters on foot or in a vehicle."

ST. GEORGE — Every Thanksgiving, turkeys take center stage. They are the focal point of many Southern Utahns’ dinner tables. But there’s more than one way to enjoy turkey this holiday season.

Southern Utahns can view wild turkeys in lower Cedar Canyon, the town of New Harmony, Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks, Panguitch Lake and Pine Valley Recreation Area, among others.

There are two wild turkey varieties in Utah — Rio Grande and Merriam’s, said Jason Nicholes, wildlife biologist with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. Rio Grande turkeys typically stay near watercourses, like streams, in lower elevations, often near cottonwood, pinyon pine and juniper trees.

Comparatively, Merriam’s tend to range higher on the mountain into ponderosa pine and oak brush habitats, he told St. George News.

The birds are often observed on private property, particularly those near water, as it often contains ideal turkey habitat with larger trees and sometimes crops, Nicholes said, adding that food can be scarcer on public land.

“So they do tie themselves a little bit more to the private land,” he said. “Along with that, there’s also usually fewer predators on private land, just because there’s been an active predator management program on a lot of private land … So it’s all a survival strategy.”

When looking for wild turkeys, the division recommends heading out early and becoming familiar with the area and the birds’ locations. By observing their daily patterns, enthusiasts or hunters can set up in an area where they’ll be active.

During hunting season, most turkeys are harvested between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., the DWR states.

Turkey watchers should keep their distance and respect the animals. While uncommon, male turkeys, called Toms, can become aggressive, particularly during the spring breeding season. And Nicholes said there have been cases where they’ve attacked cars with their beaks or wings after seeing their reflection.

In the spring, Toms are more likely to be mixed in with groups of hens. In the fall and winter, flocks are more likely to contain hens and young males, called Jakes, with Toms “off by themselves,” Nicholes said. Jakes can be distinguished from hens by their darker breast feathers in contrast to the females’ tan and white-tipped plumage.

Flocks can be seen wandering or scratching the earth during daylight hours in search of food. Despite being ground nesters, at night, they roost in trees, particularly taller specimens over 30 feet high, like ponderosa pines or cottonwood trees. Nicholes said the large birds can fly short distances of 20-30 yards.

While domestic varieties have had the “wildness bred out of them,” thus losing their survival instinct, wild turkeys are intelligent creatures despite their reputation, Nicholes said.

“Anybody that’s spent a little time hunting them will tell you that turkeys are very smart,” he said.

While Utah is home to 25,000-30,000 wild Rio Grande and Merriam’s turkeys, there were no established populations for 100 years or more until the 1950s, according to a DWR news release.

It’s unclear why the species disappeared from the state, but there is evidence that the birds were native before European exploration, Upland Game Coordinator Heather Talley told St. George News.

“There is evidence that turkeys coexisted with Native Americans from artifacts that have been found in Utah,” she said.

Evidence of turkeys on the landscape includes pictographs, petroglyphs, turkey-feather blankets and turkey bones found in areas where Native Americans lived, the release states.

Merriam’s wild turkeys from Arizona and Colorado were reintroduced in Iron, Washington, Kane, Garfield and Grand counties in the 1950s by the division, then called the Utah Department of Fish and Game.

Birds from these populations have since been trapped and released throughout the state, the division states.

In 1989, the division began trapping and transplanting Rio Grande turkeys from Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and Wyoming, according to the DWR.

Last year’s harsh winter and record snowfall caused population declines throughout the state as the birds’ movements were impeded, making it difficult for them to find food. The division reports that this is in conjunction with other recent declines caused by drought.

“But biologists anticipate an increase in many areas due to prime brood-rearing conditions this past summer,” the release states.

Turkeys are a “boom-and-bust species,” Nicholes said.

“During drought situations or hard winters, their populations can get down quite a bit,” he explained. “But then, when we have good weather, they can really, really increase quickly.

“A typical clutch for a turkey is probably in the neighborhood of three or four. But on a good year, if predators aren’t having too much of an effect, one hen can have 13-14 eggs and raise a really large clutch of poults (baby turkeys).”

Talley said that Iron and Washington County populations have fared better this year because the increased moisture didn’t impact turkey movement.

High moisture increased the number of fobs — flowering plants — and insects available. Poults eat mostly insects, Talley said.

In the fall and winter, wild turkeys eat mass crops, such as rose hips, chokecherries, acorns and pine nuts, Nicholes said.

Funds spent on hunting and combination licenses could be spent to improve habitat and manage turkeys, Talley said.

Additionally, while it may seem counterintuitive to some, she said the one way to support healthy turkey populations is to not feed them.

“Feeding turkeys can cause an artificial congregation of birds, which leads to an increase of disease transfer, a disruption of regular migrations, and creates depredation or nuisance issues, which the DWR then needs to address,” Talley said.

Feeding turkeys is also banned in many cities and towns. In some cases, DWR staff may implement the agency’s feeding policy, Talley said.

During harsh winters, turkeys occasionally gather in large flocks where people feed their livestock, which can cause conflict, Nicholes said. In those cases, the division works with the National Wild Turkey Federation to drop food on public land to draw the birds away from private property.

Property owners struggling with turkeys should call their local division office, Talley added.

“The DWR translocates turkeys each year to move them from nuisance/depredation areas to areas with suitable habitat where they don’t cause a conflict,” she said. “Last winter, the DWR translocated 1,265 turkeys.”

Southern Utahns eager to hunt their own turkey for next year’s holiday can begin applying for the 2024 limited-entry spring hunt at 8 a.m. on Dec. 12 online or by calling their local DWR office, the division said in a news release.

Applications must be submitted by 11 p.m. Dec. 27, and drawing results will be released Jan. 10, 2024. The hunt will be held April 13-24, with 450 permits available in Southern Utah.

The general statewide turkey hunts will be held from April 29 to May 31, 2024, and permits will go on sale on March 5.

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CEDAR CITY — Multiple crashes on Interstate 15 in Southern Utah were reported early Tuesday afternoon within an hour of the National Weather Service’s alert warning motorists of a snow squall passing through the area (see map).

According to the UDOT Traffic website, just after 1 p.m. multiple crashes were reported on northbound I-15 near mile marker 52, just north of the Hamilton Fort exit.

The series of crashes involved multiple semitractor-trailers and passenger cars, Utah Highway Patrol Lt. Randy Riches told Cedar City News.

Traffic on northbound I-15 is reportedly being diverted off the interstate at exits 51 and 42.

Clearance time is expected to take around four hours, or until approximately 5 p.m., according to UDOT.

Riches also confirmed another crash involving a semi shortly before 2 p.m. near I-15’s exit 57 in Cedar City.

According to the NWS interactive alert transmitted just before 12:30 p.m., “A dangerous snow squall was located along a line extending from near New Harmony to 13 miles north of LaVerkin to 10 miles north of Quail Creek State Park, moving east at 15 mph.”

According to the alert message, the storm, with wind gusts of up to 35 mph, has brought or is expected to bring intense bursts of heavy snow and gusty winds leading to blowing snow and visibility rapidly falling to less than one-quarter mile.

Drivers are advised to slow down and anticipate sudden changes in visibility and road conditions.

Riches also said earlier that a number of additional crashes and slide-offs had been reported in and around Iron County since Tuesday morning but added that he wasn’t aware of any serious injuries in any of those incidents.

As for the early afternoon pileup centered in the area identified in the squall warning, Riches said he didn’t have any details yet as the scene was still active.

Shortly before 5 p.m., Riches provided a brief update, saying the wreckage from the pileup near mile marker 51 has mostly been cleared. However, he added that there have been several other crashes and slideoffs along the median and shoulder of the roadway up through Cedar City, making traffic continue to move slowly.

Additionally, state Route 143 reportedly has been closed between Brian Head and Panguitch due to snowy conditions, although the section of SR-143 between Parowan and Brian Head reportedly is open. Additionally, on SR-20 between I-15 and Panguitch, tire chains are required on all vehicles in both directions.

Shortly before 4 p.m., UDOT Traffic tweeted that U.S. 89 is Kane County is closed in both directions at mile post 70, about five miles north of Kanab, due to weather conditions. About 30 minutes later, UDOT posted that SR-9 is closed until further notice through Zion National Park, between mile markers 32 and 45.

According to the National Park Service, drivers who are already in the park may exit the park but cannot travel on the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway across the park or up Zion Canyon Scenic Drive. Watch for snowplows on roads. For updates on road conditions in Zion, click here.

Then, at 4:40 p.m., UDOT added another tweet indicating that SR-59 is congested in both directions, from Hurricane to the Utah-Arizona border, “due to inclement weather and slick roads.” Delays are expected until at least 7 p.m.

The NWS alert also advises motorists to consider avoiding or delaying travel until after the storm has passed.

“If you must travel, use extra caution and allow extra time. Rapid changes in visibility and slick road conditions may lead to accidents.”

This is a developing story.

Updated 3:35 p.m. Feb. 14, Adds a reader-submitted photo of I-15 crash near Kanarraville.

Updated 4:55 p.m., to include traffic update from Utah Highway Patrol and UDOT.

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