There is no denying it, the season of Summer is a favorite to many and for good reason; warmer weather and longer days add an undeniable ease to adventure, making memories and having fun.
But, with this spectacular seasonal shift comes negative aspects, as well. Those hotter temperatures mixed with dried springtime overgrowth, summer thunderstorms and heightened recreational activity creates a perfect trifecta for wildfires, especially in the many mountainous regions of the West.
Among the wildfires currently wreaking havoc in our part of the country, the Silver King Fire has been burning in the Tushar Mountain Range in Beaver, Utah, ignited on Friday, July 5th.
What began as a two acre fire has exploded to upwards of 10,000 acres and is now threatening homes and communities in the Bullion Canyon area. While our primary focus is first and foremost for the safety of the firefighters, residents and homes in Bullion Canyon, with the 2024 edition of Tushars Mountain Runs slated for July 27th, Race Director Aaron Barber sent an update email to all Tushars Mountain Runs participants on Monday, July 8th.
He stated:
As you’ve probably heard, there is a significant fire burning in the Tushars right now. We’re monitoring the situation closely and I’ve been in contact with Fishlake National Forest since the outbreak. I want to be completely transparent with everyone, and let you know where we are in terms of the race…
Is the race still happening?
Yes. There have been no talks of cancelling the race at this time. The fire is on the very north end of the course. It does threaten a couple aid station locations, but we have not talked about cancelling or changing the date. Obviously, this is subject to change if the fire intensifies or changes direction. But that’s where we are right now.
Will the route be impacted?
Almost certainly. There hasn’t been an official answer from the Forest Service yet. But in one of our first conversations, they mentioned that the Copper Belt section would most likely be unavailable. This was when the fire was at 50 acres, and now it’s at 10,000.
There have also been evacuations in the Bullion Canyon area. As of right now, this is where the fire is the most intense. This is our access to Miner’s Park. I don’t want to speculate, but I doubt this section will be available on race day.
So where do we go from here?
We wait. The Forest Service has a lot on their plate right now and our race is definitely not their priority. Fortunately, they’ve been very open with me and have provided a number of updates. But updates are not answers. I can’t imagine we’ll get answers until the fire is at least contained, if not out.
I’ve been working on some alternate routes that incorporate trails on the south and west side of the range, but obviously nothing is official yet. I’m hopeful and confident that the “meat of the course” (Mud Lake, Blue Lake, Shelly Baldy, FR123 corridor, etc) will not be impacted and will be available on race day.
More information:
There have been some good updates on X (Twitter) by following #SilverKingFire
The Fishlake National Forest has been updating their Facebook page fairly regularly.
The fire just got its own InciWeb page. There’s not a lot of info right now, but this is usually my go-to for fire updates.
ABC 4 has a good update and are currently reporting from Marysvale.
And as always, feel free to reach out to me. My email is aaronbarber@aravaiparunning.com and I’m happy to share what I know.
In the meantime, keep training, and maybe do a little rain dance!
Thank you all,
Aaron Barber
R.D.
Again, please do not hesitate to reach out to us here at Aravaipa with any questions or concerns that you may have, and let’s continue to send our positive thoughts and prayers to the firefighters who are working tirelessly and selflessly to protect the communities, wildlife and beauty of the Tushar Mountains.