Summit County Sheriff’s Office did not correct widespread emergency alert to avoid ‘even greater confusion’

Summit County Sheriff’s Office did not correct widespread emergency alert to avoid ‘even greater confusion’

The Summit County Sheriff’s Office declined to issue a correction for an emergency alert that mistakenly pinged cellphones outside the Rocky Canyon Fire evacuation area because officials didn’t want to confuse residents who needed to leave their homes. On Sunday afternoon, the law enforcement agency sent an alert notifying Henefer residents of an evacuation order spurred by the Rocky Canyon Fire. However, residents in other parts of Summit Count…

Fear of more confusion drove decision not to correct Sunday's errant evacuation alert

SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah — The Summit County Sheriff’s Office is clarifying what happened after a Wireless Emergency Alert reached residents outside the intended evacuation area during the Rocky Canyon fire response Sunday, Aug. 9. As the fire began impacting the Henefer area, portions of Henefer were initially placed in “READY” status, prompting an emergency alert to notify residents of the status and give them time to prepare for a possible evacuat…