Back to the Real Salt Lake Newsfeed

50 Utahns saved from flash flooding at the site of the Dollar Ridge Fire

The Dollar Ridge Fire is mostly tamed but the scorched earth near the Strawberry River and the Camelot resort in Duchesne County led to another challenge Sunday — flash flooding.

About an inch of rain fell in an hour, causing the river to rise quickly. The muddy, debris-filled water trapped about 50 people. Sheriff’s deputies and county road workers helped, as did the firefighters still stationed there to knock down the last hotspots from the devastating blaze that destroyed 74 homes, 131 camping trailers and 25 cars.

"Given the damage done by the Dollar Ridge Fire, and the slope of the terrain in the burn scar, any amount of rain has the possibility to trigger flash flooding and debris flows," said Duchesne County Sheriff David Boren.