Buckley Draw Fire reaches 20% containment, with progress coming on western perimeter
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- An aircraft combats the Buckley Draw fire on Monday, Aug. 18, 2025.
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- Firefighters are pictured in a staging area for the Buckley Draw Fire on Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, in Provo.
Firefighters made progress on the western perimeter of the Buckley Draw Fire near Provo on Tuesday to reduce wildfire risk in the valley.
The U.S. Forest Service announced Wednesday morning that the fire is 20% contained, with all the containment seen along the western perimeter.
“This decreases the threat to the Provo area, and fire managers are feeling comfortable with the progress made to protect the communities,” said Northern Utah Type 3 Incident Management Team spokesperson Sierra Hellstrom in a U.S. Forest Service release.
However, Hellstrom said containment will be slow for the backside of the fire because crews cannot enter areas of hazardous terrain. She said a longer-duration suppression period for the fire is expected due to the conditions.
“While crews are being successful, this fire will be visible and impact the mountain for longer than the public is used to with fires along the Wasatch Front,” she said.
An overnight infrared flight that tracks fire acreage was unable to fly last night, keeping the reported acreage at 427 acres, though the fire perimeter is slightly larger, Hellstrom said.
The fire broke out on the mountainside south of Slate Canyon in Provo around 5 p.m. Sunday, and aircraft immediately responded.
A U.S. Forest Service update Tuesday said inserting fire crews on the ground has been the biggest success against the fire. Aircraft are supporting firefighters by cooling hot spots and slowing progression, while crews on the ground have made the most suppression progress.
A temporary grounding of aircraft remained in effect Wednesday, though Hellstrom said there were no new drone incursions Tuesday. Law enforcement is investigating airspace incursions that occurred Sunday and Monday.
“We’re working closely with our air operations and the FAA and law enforcement to track some of those down, because we would like to get some charges against some of those people,” Hellstrom said.
Closures remain in place for trails and recreation sites in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest near the fire.
