ST. GEORGE — As of Monday afternoon, 680 fires have burned across Utah and torched over 43,200 acres, with southwest Utah seeing its own share of human and naturally-caused blazes over the weekend.
A plane drops fire retardant onto flames in the Dalton Wash part of the Kolob Fire, near Virgin, Utah, July 27, 2024 | Photo courtesy of Deanna Buchanan, St. George News
As of Monday, these fires appear to be winding down.
The Kolob Fire burns in Washington County while Iron County deals with the Tank, Third Canyon and Graff Point fires, according to Utah Fire Info.
With the exception of the Graff Point Fire that started in mid-July, the others ignited during a Red Flag weather warning weekend that saw high temperatures, low humidity and high winds.
The Kolob Fire started Saturday and has grown to over 600 acres. Listed at 40% contained, Utah fire officials posted on X (formerly Twitter) Monday morning that firefighters are presently focused on strengthening fire lines and mop-up operations.
Located near Virgin off Kolob Terrace Road, the fire was human-caused, destroyed two structures and triggered an area evacuation order that has since been lifted.
“The area closure for the Dalton Wash Road remains in effect for the area beyond Zion Open Skies Resort. Fire personnel expect to establish more containment by the end of shift,” fire officials wrote on X.
A vehicle reportedly caused a fire on Old Highway 91 in Enoch, Utah, July 28, 2024 | Photo courtesy of Megan Moses, Cedar City News
In County County, the Tank Fire by Enoch started Sunday and is listed at nearly 27 acres, with firefighters involved in mop-up operations as of the last report from Utah Fire Info. The fire originally threatened nearby structures but had its progression stopped by responding fire crews.
“We are fortunate that crews were able to stop this fire quickly,” Cedar City Fire Chief Mike Phillips said in a news release. “With the recent fires in our area and the red flag warnings, the weather is not in our favor.”
The Third Point Canyon Fire southwest of Minersville has burning over 730 acres and is 80% contained as of Monday. Oversight of the fire has also transitioned to a local fire unit (one engine and fire crew), according to Utah Fire Info. This fire was originally sparked by lightning last Friday.
The Graff Point Fire northeast of Kanarraville is 86% contained at 542 acres since its last update. This fire was also lightning-caused and was discovered on July 12. Management of this fire was also transferred from a complex incident management team to a local unit on July 20.
Photo Gallery
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2024, all rights reserved.