Monster blaze forces evacuation of Grouse Creek, consumes vital range land and sage grouse habitat

Courtesy Jess Roberts
Mason Roberts watches from south of Grouse Creek Saturday when the fire’s growth rapidly accelerated. Range land—and some crops—have been consumed by the more than 100,000-acre Goose Creek Fire.


Two wildfires that began in Nevada have both joined in Utah, burning over 118,000 acres as of Monday afternoon, destroying tens of thousands of acres of range land that cattle ranchers in Box Elder County depend on to feed their herds.

The Goose Creek Fire began southwest of Jackpot, Nevada, on Thursday, July 26, the result of a lightning strike. Another Nevada fire, the China Jim Fire, also began by lightning strike on Saturday, July 28, beginning on the northern slope of China Jim Mountain, which is about 13 miles southwest of the unincorporated town of Grouse Creek, Utah.

Box Elder County firefighters were already out battling several blazes, including a 1,241-acre fire in the Raft River Mountains, a 745-acre fire at Monument Peak, an 80-acre fire in the Bovine Mountains, and also mopping up a 1,008-acre fire in Hansel Valley, when the fires crossed the border into the county on Saturday.

“There were a lot of fires going on, and a lot of resources that were tied up,” said Box Elder County Fire Marshal Corey Barton. “And once we were able to get resources cleared, it took a while for them to get here. But we were able to get five dozers, three road graders, and a ton of Box Elder resources.” Those resources came from Box Elder County and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), as well as Utah State Lands.

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(Box Elder News Journal)