OGDEN, Utah — Firefighters continued to work to contain the Valley Fire which caused more than two dozen homes to be evacuated Tuesday, and another 10 homes later in the evening after it flared up again.
"When the initial evacuation happened, my wife and I were actually gone," said resident Steve McGraw.
Word of evacuations left McGraw and his wife rushing home to make sure everyone was able to get out and leave safely.
"They didn't make us evacuate very far because the main fire was over on the trails over here, and so if it was to climb around, that's when they would make us leave for good," added McGraw.
After being allowed to return to their homes around 9 p.m., McGraw's neighbor, Ryan Bessey, says the fire flared up again.
"Right around 10:00 p.m., we see a stretch right over here, just go up very fast, and that was threatening those homes right down there," Bessey showed FOX 13 News.
Both the Bessey's and McGraw's said they were put on alert they might have to evacuate their homes again. Both families said that decided to sleep in shifts in case they had to leave quickly.
"[McGraw's wife] would sleep an hour-and-a-half and then wake me up and then I would watch it and she would sleep, and I would sleep and just back and forth," explained McGraw.
Fire officials say about 9 acres were burned by the fire, which is about 40-percent contained as of Wednesday afternoon.
Ogden City Fire Department officials said the fire has been challenging.
"We have a little bit more humidity in the grasses, but it's still too dry and so last night the winds picked up, we still had some dry tinder and it just took off up the hill," said deputy fire chief Mike Slater.
With triple-digit heat both Tuesday and Wednesday, Slater says it can pose a safety concern for the firefighters who are out working in their full fire gear.
"We called for a rehab unit early in the fire and Washington Terrace there; fire chief brought us rehab units and we're able to recycle firefighters, get them hydrated to get food," said Slater. "We've had a huge outpouring from the community, we've had community members bring food and water."
No firefighters have been injured and no homes were damaged due to the blaze.
For residents like the Bessey's and McGraw's, they are not just thankful for the hard work of the firefighters, but also, the tight knit group of people that live on their street.
"When things happen like this, everyone comes together and, and somehow some way we're going make it work," said McGraw.
Slater said crews are still trying to determine the cause of Valley Fire, but he believes it could be human caused.
Two engines will remain on top of the hill Wednesday night to protect any nearby structures.
