East Ute Plaza Fire Entrapment 2026

On March 17, 2026, volunteer and federal firefighting resources responded to the East Ute Plaza Fire, a human-caused incident that had started just south of Highway 40 on the northwest side of Fort Duchesne, Utah. During initial attack, fire resources conducted a burnout operation along a river and highway. During the burnout operations, fire activity picked up. Ignitions were stopped and as the ignitor tried to make their way up the embankment from where they had been lighting and back onto the road, they slipped multiple times. As they continued to attempt to get up the embankment, the wind switched, pushing the fire in the direction of the igniter, causing their flame-resistant clothing to catch on fire. The igniter was able to make it to the road, where an engine sprayed the firefighter with water and put the fire on the igniter out. The burned firefighter was transported by ambulance to a local hospital where they were treated for second and third degree burns over seven percent of their body.