This is your daily news rundown for Monday, July 21. In this edition:
- Two people drowned in Utah reservoirs over the weekend, prompting renewed calls for water safety
- The Deer Creek Fire is now over 17,000 acres with 30% containment
Officials renew calls for water safety after two drownings over the weekend
Officials are reminding Utahns of important safety tips after two people drowned in separate water bodies over the weekend.
On Saturday, the Weber County Sheriff’s Office got a report that a man had cliff jumped into Causey Reservoir and not resurfaced.
After a major search effort with land, water, and air resources, the 23-year-old's body was found around 9 p.m. by a dive team.
That same day, a 39-year-old man swimming at Yuba State Park’s North Beach in central Utah was reported missing. After four hours of a multi-agency search, his body was found and recovered from the reservoir.
Officials with the Utah Department of Natural Resources said it’s important to always wear life jackets when recreating in water, no matter how deep.
Deer Creek Fire surpasses 17,000 acres with 30% containment
The Deer Creek Fire in San Juan County has surpassed 17,000 acres, according to the latest update from the Utah Department of Forestry, Fire and State Lands.
Since Sunday, the fire has grown over 1,000 acres, most of which officials said was an area in the center of the fire area that was previously thought to be unburned.
Firefighters have gained additional containment on the fire near the Utah-Colorado border, bringing total containment up to 30%.
Hundreds of fire personnel are fighting the blaze, which first sparked on June 10, with both land and air resources.
