Operations Section Chief Brad Mihelic from Great Basin Complex Incident Management Team 3 said in an update on Sunday that while the Iron Fire (which is the one that crossed from Juab County into Utah County) is only listed at 57% containment, things are looking good overall.

“We’ve been wind-tested twice over the last two days now and everything has remained within our containment line,” Mihelic said in the update briefing that was posted on the Utah Fire Info Facebook page. “So we are feeling really comfortable with this.”

He added that there are still a few open line sections in the north and east but that they’ll be able to back line those on Sunday.

“After today, this fire will go into what we call patrol status,” Mihelic said. “We’ll leave some resources on here just to continue to monitor it over the next couple of days.”

With progress being made on the Iron Fire, other resources will now be moving to fight the Cherry Fire to the west, which is 0% contained and still growing.

“On Friday, the Cherry Fire made a big run, an 11-mile run, and grew to 30,000 acres in just an afternoon,” Mihelic said. “On Saturday, we were working to see what we had, where the threats were, etc.”

He explained that they started by getting a line from the Iron Fire to State Road 36, so they are feeling good about that section of the effort. Between roads and firefighting efforts, Mihelic said they are doing well on the eastern edge of the fire.

But there are still concerns for the fire, which is in Juab and Tooele Counties.

“The main concern for the Cherry Fire is the southwest corner,” Mihelic said. “We have a little community there called Sahara Sunrise Estates, I believe. We have crews around that area determining the best course of action.”

There haven’t been many resources working on the western edge of the fire since it isn’t populated but Mihelic said more resources will move to that area from the Iron Fire.

A lot of aircraft and retardant was used on the northern edge to slow the progression of the fire in that direction.

He said efforts as of Sunday have gotten to a point where things are looking much better for the towns of Mammoth, Silver City and Eureka.

The Juab County Sheriff’s Office announced that residents of those towns could return to their homes at noon on Sunday.

According to a Facebook post from the U.S. Forest Service Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, there are still road closures in place and residents in the area should follow directions from local authorities.

“Evacuation orders and warnings are established and modified by local law enforcement. Residents should follow direction from the Juab County and Tooele County Sheriffs and should not attempt to return until an official re-entry announcement has been made. Fire managers will continue coordinating closely with county officials as conditions improve.

:Road closures are in effect in Juab County, on Old Highway 148, also known as Route 1812 and the Highway 6 Intersection. Also, Highway 6 is closed west of Eureka, Utah. Highway 6 is closed at Dividen Road East of Eureka, Utah. In Tooele County closures include Highway 36 south of Vernon, UT. In Utah County, Chimney Rock Pass Road is closed. Eureka, Mammoth, Silver City, Lofgreen, and Vernon Reservoir are all in the evacuation status ‘Go’. Residents in evacuation areas should follow all directions from local law enforcement and emergency management officials.”

The post also said that Sunday’s weather should help efforts to fight the fires.

“Sunday’s forecast brings a meaningful change from the hot, dry, and windy conditions of recent days,” the post said. “Cooler temperatures, higher humidity, and lighter west winds are expected to moderate fire behavior and create a favorable opportunity for firefighters to make progress. Fire activity is still possible in areas with residual heat, particularly in juniper fuels on the Cherry Fire.”

Another update on the fires is scheduled for Monday. More information can be found at http://inciweb.wildfire.gov.