The town of Hanna, Utah prays for snow as the Yellow Lake fire looms

HANNA, Duchesne County — Many Utahns are prepared for fall precipitation, but people in the small town of Hanna are definitely hoping for snow. They were constantly on alert to prepare for evacuation as the Yellow Lake Fire burned nearby.

Wednesday saw off and on rain and sleet throughout the day. However, they hope the snow levels they hear are possible because the mountains around them will really help put out the flames.

In Duchesne County, Hanna is one of those small communities that is usually peaceful and quiet, which is why people live there.

But since the largest forest fire in Utah broke out three weeks ago, people have been nervous. The Yellow Lake fire continues to grow Wednesday, covering about 30,000 acres. People in the area were told to pack their bags and prepare to evacuate if the flames moved closer to the city.

So with snow forecast, almost everyone you chat with in Hanna is excited that the fire might be put out.

“It would be really nice, really nice,” Brent Bingham said. “With the wind that comes with the storm, there's always a concern that it will overwhelm the rain, but you know, we've been praying and hoping that it's gone… that it will finally go away.”

Doug Price, who manages Defa's Dude Ranch, said any rainfall is welcome.

“The weather suggested we might get 16 inches in the high Uintas. So that should give us a little bit of breathing room to hopefully knock it down a little bit,” Price said.

Both men praise the work of firefighters in protecting homes and buildings. Not a single house or building has burned down, and everyone hopes it stays that way. They also hoped to see lots of snow in the surrounding mountains when they woke up on Thursday.