Community Meeting Tonight On The Forsyth Fire Updates

As the Forsyth Fire continues to burn in the Pine Valley area, fire officials are urging residents of Pine Valley, Grass Valley, and Gray’s Ranch to attend a critical community meeting scheduled for this evening, June 26, at 6 p.m. The meeting will be held at the Central Fire Station, located at 155 E Center Street. Due to limited space, attendance is reserved for residents of the directly affected communities. For those unable to attend in person, a recording of the meeting will be posted on the Dixie National Forest Facebook page.

The Forsyth Fire has grown to 9,665 acres since it was first reported on June 19. It is currently 5% contained, with 734 personnel assigned to suppression efforts. The fire, caused by lightning, has prompted continued coordination between the incident management team, the Dixie National Forest, Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, and local cooperators.

Crews have made progress on the northern perimeter near Pine Valley, marking the fire’s first area of containment—represented as a solid black line on fire maps. Firefighters are now working south from Pine Valley, constructing handline to slow the spread. Two crews were recently deployed by helicopter to the fire’s southern tip, where they are positioned along the Lloyd Canyon ridgeline. These crews will remain in place for several days to strengthen the fire line on the southwestern flank.

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To the northeast near Grass Valley, crews successfully tied handline into the scar left by the West Valley Fire, reinforcing the perimeter. Following successful tactical firing operations around the summer home area, firefighters are now focused on mop-up operations and reinforcing the edge.

Operations staff are also evaluating the potential to engage the eastern perimeter of the fire within the Pine Valley Mountain Wilderness.

The communities of Pine Valley, Grass Valley, and Gray’s Ranch remain under a “Go” evacuation status, meaning residents should leave immediately. Pinto remains in a “Set” status, advising residents to be ready to evacuate if conditions worsen.

France Canyon Fire Now 15% Contained

Meanwhile, the France Canyon Fire, burning seven miles southeast of Hatch, Utah, has grown to 27,746 acres with 15% containment. A total of 860 personnel are assigned. Like the Forsyth Fire, this fire was also sparked by lightning. Crews recently completed tactical firing operations near Wilson Peak and Hillsdale Canyon. For safety, nearby transmission lines were de-energized during the operation and power has since been restored.

Today’s efforts on the France Canyon Fire will include improving fire lines on the northeastern flank along Forest Service Road 100, utilizing Uncrewed Aerial Systems to assess remote areas, and potentially conducting aerial ignitions. Crews are also reinforcing a fuel break north of the Tropic Reservoir and continuing mop-up and hazard tree removal along Blubber Creek and the southern containment line.

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As both fires continue to evolve, residents are urged to remain alert, follow official updates, and attend local briefings such as tonight’s meeting in Pine Valley.