The arson-caused wildfire that swept down from the foothills east of Stockton last Wednesday and threatened homes and contaminated the town’s water supply has been listed as controlled, a fire official said.
And by Saturday afternoon, Stockton’s 600 residents were told the town’s water system had been purged of chemicals and ash from the wildfire, and was safe to drink. However, due to a key 500,000-gallon water tank damaged from the fire, residents are prohibited to use the town’s water for lawns and gardens until further notice.
Tooele County Fire Warden Tom Wilson said Sunday night the wildfire was contained last Wednesday evening and finally controlled by Thursday afternoon. But the wind-driven blaze that burned 179 acres of open rangeland and residential property likely won’t be listed as “out” for a few more days.
“It’s still in a control status. It’s not out yet,” he said. “If I have a fire that’s over 100 acres, I will wait a week to make sure. There’s only a one-percent chance that it will happen [reignite], but there is always the potential. I check it out every day.”
Wilson said he categorized the wildfire as controlled last Thursday at 3 p.m. A contained fire means firefighters have contained 100 percent of the fire’s perimeter, but there is still potential for it to grow.
A controlled fire means its outer perimeter, even though new fuel is nearby, likely won’t continue to grow, he said. Smoldering debris may still remain in spots, but doesn’t necessarily pose a threat.
The wildfire started at around 2 p.m. Wednesday. Approximately 100 firefighters from six local agencies and an aerial firefighting company battled the blaze that threatened to destroy several homes. Some of those homes had flames within feet of their front door, but firefighters were able to save them. Some homes, however, did have smoke and heat damage.
By Wednesday night, Timothy D. West, 27, of Stockton, was arrested for allegedly starting the fire. According to a probable cause statement, West admitted to investigators he started the fire with matches. He was arrested for alleged arson, criminal mischief and obstruction of justice.
Wilson described the wildfire as a classic “wildland urban interface fire,” and the preliminary fire suppression cost is $115,000. He stressed the amount is only for fighting the fire and does not include damage-related costs Stockton or residents may incur.
The fire marshal agreed the town was spared from a potential fire catastrophe, thanks to the united work of firefighters and even residents. He said the fire did briefly jump Silver Avenue, but alert residents put out the flames before they could spread and move into nearby homes and the town park.
Although homes were spared, some sheds and a barn were lost. The biggest loss from the fire appears to have been Stockton’s main water tank, which is located across Silver Avenue from the town park.
A control house on top of the 100-year-old tank caught fire as the wildfire roared by. Firefighters tried unsuccessfully to douse the blaze and the control house collapsed. During the effort, fire retardant and other material drained into the tank’s 500,000 gallons of water.
“We were concerned that the retardant, and chemicals from a roof membrane that was just installed and melted, had gone into the tank,” said Stockton Mayor Mark Whitney. “But we couldn’t isolate the tank due to the fire. We had to leave it online to have control [of more water] if it was needed [for fire suppression].”
Knowing the town’s water would be contaminated, Whitney immediately issued a “no use” order for residents’ safety. That order was finally lifted Saturday afternoon after two water tests came back showing that chemicals had been flushed out.
“We worked almost all day Thursday flushing the system to take the first set of samples, and to reconfigure the zones for the town’s water system,” he said. “Right now, we have lost two-thirds of our storage capacity. We’re down to one 250,000 gallon tank.”
During the three days of “no use,” residents were able to obtain drinking water from three locations in Stockton: Two 2,000-gallon water tankers were brought in by the Jordan Valley Water District in Salt Lake County and bottled water was available at the Stockton Fire Station.
Residents have their drinking water back — but due to the loss of capacity, outside watering of lawns and gardens is prohibited until further notice, said Whitney. Prior to the fire, the town was not on any water restriction.
However, the mayor noted water is available for livestock and outside watering from Soldier Canyon Irrigation Company. A filling area is available at the town’s ballpark on Silver Avenue.
He added work is underway to assess the damage of the water tank, which is a century old, and develop a repair plan. The town has already met with its insurance company regarding the water tank, and a repair estimate is in process. Meanwhile, the town will have to rely on the 250,000-gallon tank.
“Keeping that tank full will have its challenges,” Whitney said. “It will be like trying to fill a glass while drinking out of it.”
He asked for residents to please be patient as the town works to “figure things out.”
“We’re working as fast as we can,” he said. “And we want to be smart about it.”
The mayor said residents in the wildfire’s aftermath have expressed anger and frustration. But there is also gratitude.
“It’s amazing to me how the community has come together through this,” he said. “The fire crews did a phenomenal job, and there were residents who helped out with anything possible. It was amazing that nobody lost their home.”
He also stressed the legion of volunteers that made life more bearable for residents, helping with drinking water distribution and other tasks.
“From the bottom of my heart, I can’t thank everyone enough,” he said. “I have a lot of people to thank next week and I want them to know the difference that they have made.”