Firefighters planned to set a controlled burn Sunday afternoon, Aug. 16, in a steep, inaccessible canyon on the Rocky Canyon Fire's northwest corner, a move that could send heavier smoke toward nearby communities.

Utah Fire Info said on X on Sunday, Aug. 16, that crews prepared contingency lines for a firing operation in the Bishop's Canyon bowl, pending weather and ground conditions. The agency described the terrain as steep and completely inaccessible for direct firefighting, with active fire there threatening the Morgan area if left unchecked.

The fire held at 72% containment and 15,950 acres as of the Sunday morning update, unchanged from Saturday evening. But two days of drying conditions after rain have reignited intensity on the northwest perimeter.

Do not call 911 for smoke

Utah Fire Info issued a direct advisory: residents who see increased smoke Sunday afternoon should not call 911 to report it. Fire managers are actively engaged in all firing activities, the agency said.

The smoke is expected.

Firing operations involve intentionally setting fire along containment lines to burn off vegetation between the main blaze and areas crews are protecting. In terrain too steep for direct attack, the technique lets firefighters control where and when fuel burns rather than waiting for the fire to reach it on its own terms.

Evacuation coordination underway

The incident management team is working with local emergency management and sheriffs to evaluate evacuation status and road closures, according to the update. No specific changes to evacuations were announced in the Sunday morning report.

Elsewhere on the fire, crews are patrolling for lingering heat in contained areas and rehabilitating dozer lines across the perimeter to reduce future flooding and erosion risk.

Context for Draper

The Rocky Canyon Fire is burning in Morgan County, roughly 30 miles northeast of Draper. As we reported Aug. 11, the state flagged Draper's wildland-urban interface as a danger zone during aggressive fire conditions earlier in the month.

Containment jumped from 40% on Thursday, Aug. 13, to 72% after several days of rain and cooler temperatures. The drying trend that began Saturday, Aug. 15, is expected to continue, and fire managers said indirect tactics are necessary to gain containment in the area before the fire can advance further toward Morgan.

Utah Fire Info did not announce a timeline for the next operational update.