KANOSH, Utah (ABC4) — Governor Spencer J. Cox (R-UT) attended a briefing regarding the fire on Thursday afternoon.
The wildfire, which was triggered by lightning, has burned through 97,288 acres since its ignition on July 27. As of August 6, officials reported that the blaze is only 10% contained.
The governor attended a roundtable briefing in Kanosh this Thursday to discuss the recent wildfire. During the meeting, he expressed gratitude to local community leaders and firefighting crews for their dedicated response efforts. Despite the exhausting conditions surrounding the blaze, Cox noted that teams continue to push forward.
“They’re tired, they’re worn out, and we’re asking them to do too much,” he said.
Gov. Cox also offered condolences to individuals who lost livestock, structures, and personal property. To mitigate further damage, he announced immediate plans to begin restoration efforts to combat flooding.
“Mother nature doesn’t care about out timeframes,” Cox said. “It’s a sprint, and it’s a marathon.”
At this time, the east side is the first priority, and crews will go on from there.
Gov. Cox visits fire site
Following the meeting, Gov. Cox conducted a visit to the fire site to address the ongoing disaster.
During his visit, he noted that the chief of the Forest Service was present to assist with emergency efforts. Cox expressed gratitude for the chief’s presence, citing him as a vital resource for coordinating the response.
He also said that the state has the needed resources to battle the flames.
“This is our third fire to be right at 100,000 acres this year, which is not a record that we’re proud of, but we’re grateful for all of the work that’s happening here,” he added.
Gov. Cox visits Wide Mouth 2 Fire site. Courtesy: Joseph DeGolyer
“We could always use more resources, but we now finally have adequate resources to fight this fire,” he said.
For now, teams will continue working together to fight the fire and ensure the safety of Utah residents.
“Our priority is to save lives. We can rebuild homes. You know, we can replant trees. We can do all of that stuff. But we can’t bring a new person after we lose somebody,” Cox said.