Fire near my parents' home

(image courtesy of KSL.com)

This morning, my mom spotted smoke coming from over the hill, so she called my Dad asking how to turn on the sprinklers. He told her how to do it, but told her to get out of there. From his office in downtown, he could see smoke coming from the canyon. My dad reports to the children, "I talked to her about an hour ago and she was at the library. ... I don't see the smoke now, but she is not answering her cell phone (she said the battery was low) and I don't think she is home yet."

I have told my Mom a million times to keep her cell phone ON and CHARGED. When ever I need to reach her, I never can via cell because it is either turned off or not charged fully. Generally, I don't even try her cell anymore. I called a couple of minutes ago at home and she didn't pick up. It is times like these when you need your freaking mobile phone working.

Here's a report from the Salt Lake Tribune:

a blaze...has consumed nearly 20 acres of grassland in east Salt Lake City's Emigration Canyon today.
Shortly before 1 p.m., firefighters believed they were getting the upper hand on the flames, having gotten aid from aerial fire-retardant and water drops.
KUTV reports that late this morning workers were grinding rebar at a new fire station site four miles up the canyon when sparks ignited nearby scrub oak. Flames quickly spread, at one point threatening several homes before firefighters reined in the fire.

KUTV has streaming video

KSL's Sandra Yi has a great line

It's a little bit ironic it was the construction of a fire house that started this fire, but authorities say that's exactly the reason why there needs to be a fire house up in Emigration Canyon.

The Yi's page has video of the blaze but I can't seem to get it to work on my computer.

It seems all is OK with my mother and with their house (where I lived from age 11-19) and others persons and property. I was just thinking about how glad I was that the County was building that fire station. If I hear anything more, I will update everyone.

UPDATE:My Mom just called and said all is
well. She used up all of her juice calling neighbors and telling them to get out/there's a fire etc.

There are literally fire trucks in their driveway and they told her to
park her car outward because she won't have time to back up. She invited some in to use the bathroom.

The smoke she said is mostly gone now but she saw actual flames over the hill. That is really freaking scary. She ran the sprinklers some and is back home.