Margie said she could see from her porch how fast the fire progressed. It was when JaLynn received a call from police that Duane had been picked up on the road that they knew there was trouble. Margie and JaLynn drove to the area where the fire started and were stopped by a roadblock. While talking with a person at the roadblock whom they knew, a message was sent over his radio that there were four victims and two of them were dead.

Margie said she knew immediately those victims were Tracy and George. Roberson was flown to a local hospital but died a short time later. A Fish and Wildfire officer reportedly also suffered minor burn injuries after reaching the bodies of the Houstons and pulling them out.

Margie and JaLynn said their husbands would be remembered as men who loved their families, loved the outdoors, their church and their community.

"Everything he did was for us," JaLynn said while fighting back tears.

Tracy Houston worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Between work and family, JaLynn said what stood out about her husband was "his dedication to everything he did. He gave it 100 percent."

The towns of White Rocks and Farm Creek remained evacuated Sunday, totaling about 500 residents. The majority of White Creek residents are members of the Ute Indian Tribe. About 40 people sought shelter at the Fort Duchesne Recreation Center. Others were able to stay with relatives. Some pitched tents at a Fourth of July Powwow celebration happening in Fort Duchesne.

Officials announced late Sunday that the White Rocks community could return to their homes at 8 a.m. today. The residents who live in the area north of White Rocks — about 16 homes — were to be escorted to their homes late Sunday to retrieve perishable goods, and today Farm Creek residents will be allowed in to get perishable goods. Officials say those areas remain extremely hazardous because of downed power lines and other threats. About five homes have been determined destroyed by the fire, but that number is expected to rise.

Although Uintah County Commissioner Rod Harris described the fire Sunday evening as still being "very explosive and dangerous," Martin said at this point they considered the community of White Rocks as "being safe" from the fire and hoped to have news soon about when residents might be able to return to their homes.

Federal officials said that a Girl Scout recreation camp and 150 homes near Dryfork Canyon were also threatened by flames.

The Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team called the Neola North Fire the "number one priority" in Utah for firefighters right now. Early estimates of the cost to fight the fire was $300,000, a figure that was expected to be much higher in the coming days.

Up to 75 percent of that figure will be paid by funds from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency, according to a press release from the agency issued on Sunday. The money will be provided via fire management assistance grants and could be used to pay for equipment use, mobilization and demobilization, materials, supplies and field camps.

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Contributing: Rebecca Palmer

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E-mail: preavy@desnews.com; rpalmer@desnews.com