This is your daily news rundown for Monday, Oct 14. In this edition:
- Officials overseeing the Yellow Lake Fire hosted a public meeting to provide information on the fire.
- Utah officials reported two new fire blazes this weekend.
- The group overseeing Utah's beauty industry is looking to change their beauty licensure requirements.
- A large commercial poultry flock in northern Cache Valley has been confirmed to have bird flu.
Officials address Yellow Lake Fire in public meeting
Officials overseeing the Yellow Lake Fire hosted a public meeting Sunday at Kamas Middle School to provide the latest information on the fire.
Fire managers told people they have several crews on the scene — both on the ground and in the air. Residents of Hanna, in Duchesne County, are being urged to be ready to get out in case conditions change.
Still, the Yellow Lake Fire continues to grow and move. As of Sunday evening, the fire had grown to 30,608 acres and was 23% contained, according to Utah Fire Info.
No homes or buildings have been damaged by the fire.
There are roughly 850 individuals helping fight the fire. The fire has been burning for two weeks and is human-caused.
Officials are hoping for some relief soon. Snow and cooler temperatures are expected later this week.
Another public meeting will be held Monday in Tabiona at 6 p.m. It will be live streamed.
Utah reports two new fires reported over weekend
A new fire blazed up Sunday south of Monticello, less than a mile from homes.
The Verdure Creek Fire is on U.S. Forest Service land near the Blue Mountain Home subdivision of residences, Utah Fire Info said. The blaze was estimated to be more than 100 acres and growing.
The Cherry Creek Fire was reported Sunday afternoon about three miles from Lofgreen in Tooele County. On Sunday night, it was estimated at more than 1,000 acres and is reaching into Juab County, according to Utah Fire Info.
Officials believe it was human-caused, but it remains under investigation as ground resources respond to the scene.
Utah looks to change beauty licensure requirements
The Utah office assigned to review the state’s beauty industry is recommending major licensing changes. Members of the Office of Professional Licensure Review presented a plan Thursday to be recommended to the state Legislature in the coming session.
There are over 60,000 active licenses in the beauty industry, according to the Division of Professional Licensing.
The office believes that a micro-license structure for specific specialties will save money and allow practitioners to jump into one specialty and add onto their scope over time.
The group claims changing beauty industry licensing would increase transparency for consumers and lower barriers to program training. Recommendations include establishing minimum safety requirements for beauty school attendees.
Cache Valley poultry flock confirmed to have bird flu
As many as 1.8 million birds have been culled after a large commercial poultry flock in northern Cache County was confirmed as having the bird flu.
The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food dispatched a team to assess the situation after the highly pathogenic avian influenza was detected.
State veterinarian Dr. Daniel Christensen said the area surrounding the flock has been quarantined. No information was given on the specific farm.
The issue has drawn support from federal agencies, including the United States Department of Agriculture's animal and plant inspection service, working to provide increased surveillance and testing in the area.
Officials are warning domestic poultry owners, including owners of chickens and turkeys, to watch birds for symptoms of the bird flu, including "high death loss among flocks, nasal discharge, decreased appetite or water consumption, and lack of coordination.
