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FRUITLAND, Duchesne County — The Dollar Ridge Fire has burned more than 50,000 acres and destroyed or damaged hundreds of structures, including 80 homes, 131 camp trailers and 81 utility trailers, as well as 158 sheds or agricultural buildings.
Officials and crews fighting the large fire in eastern Utah shared some of the small, uplifting stories from the firefighting operation.
The Dalton Hotshots, a crew based in California, posted a photo on Instagram Monday of a couple who had planned to wed at the groom’s house built by his grandfather. Those plans were thwarted when the Dollar Ridge Fire led to more than 1,000 evacuations in Wasatch and Duchesne counties.
However, the Dalton Hotshots reported they, along with other crews, were able to save the house. While the bride and groom weren’t able to hold the wedding where they planned, the Hotshots crew said the newlyweds visited them to thank them for their help protecting the house.
“We are grateful for the lives we impact,” the organization wrote in a post along with a photo with the couple.
Meanwhile, another firefighting crew was able to save a baby bird that had fallen out of its nest while the crews moved through the Red Creek area in Duchesne County. Utah Fire Info posted a photo of the small bird in the hands of a fire crew member.
Officials wrote that firefighters rescued it and put it back in its nest and returned to building a fire line in the area.
“As firefighters continue to make good progress on the Dollar Ridge Fire, it's the little things that make a big difference,” Utah Fire Info officials wrote in the post.
Officials said on Tuesday that the fire 45 percent contained.
