Box Creek Escaped RX 2012

The Box Creek Prescribed Fire project was planned to be a 3,300 acre burn in the Monroe Mountain area of the Fishlake National Forest in southern Utah. Late in the afternoon of May 15, 2012, a small crew was dispatched to light a test fire, approximately 20 acres in size, to determine if fire behavior would be conducive for aerial ignition the following day. The test fire grew in intensity quickly. It spotted out of the test fire stand. By the time nightfall had stopped the fire’s spread, it had covered an area of approximately 194 acres. Over the next few days, the fire was controlled within the planning area. It continued to be managed as a prescribed fire. On June 4, relative humidity dipped down to 8 percent. Isolated heat sources began to burn more vigorously than had been witnessed on previous days. The patrol witnessed a small group of trees torch near the north edge of the recent burn area which spotted a few hundred yards outside the established black area. By the end of that day, the fire had burned an additional 668 acres and had exceeded the project area. Managers determined that they would not be able to control the fire outside the project area by the end of the next burning period and declared a wildfire at 2200 on June 4.