Hunters' campfires are being blamed for a 147-acre blaze firefighters were battling Wednesday east of Tony Grove Lake in Logan Canyon and for another fire near Fairview.
The blazes broke a quiet spell in the Utah wildfire season and were accompanied by three other fires elsewhere in the state.Some 103 firefighters responded to the Spawn Creek fire in Logan Canyon, which started Monday. Dispatcher Frank Wiggins with the Interagency Fire Center said crews estimated the fire would be contained late Wednesday afternoon and fully controlled by 6 p.m. Friday.
Officials are fairly confident the fire started from a hunter's campfire, Wiggins said. He said such fires are currently restricted in the area because of extreme fire hazard caused by dry conditions.
The fire near Fairview in Sanpete County had burned 100 acres near Dry Creek Canyon north of Fairview. That fire was likely started by elk hunters and was being fought by two crews of 20 firefighters Wednesday.
Elsewhere in Utah, firefighters extinguished an eight-acre fire at Guardsman's Pass near Park City and are working on a 30-acre fire near Strawberry Reservoir.
A fifth fire burned 10 acres of grass and threatened a home near 30th West and Fifth South Tuesday afternoon before being controlled by Salt Lake firefighters. The fire burned fences and threatened several barns.