Utah has become the focus of the nation's wildfire suppression efforts as flames blacken thousands of acres throughout the state.
"Compared to other areas of the country, we have the highest number of manpower and equipment resources being used," said Salt Lake Interagency Fire spokesman Dick Klien.Most of the blazes are burning in central Utah, where fires have destroyed more than 120,000 acres of pinon, sage and juniper.
More than 250 firefighters are battling the country's largest active series of fires on the northern section of Fish Lake National Forest. Dubbed the Leamington Complex, the fires have blackened 100,000 acres, closed several small roads and restricted air traffic.
High winds pulled many of the Leamington fires together Monday, making containment tough for suppression crews.
"The winds kind of make things feel cooler, but it makes flames spread so easy," said one witness. "A (burning) section that looks innocent suddenly pops up because of the wind."
Local farmers were working with firefighters Monday to prevent flames from encroaching on their turkey coops south of Nephi. In fact, turkey farmers from Sanpete County were reportedly enlisted to help their colleagues and area ranchers were forced to move cattle to safe spots.
Still, no structures were lost and homes were not being threatened, according to Juab County Sheriff Dave Carter.
Expect more erratic fire conditions Tuesday, said fire spokeswoman Jean Felmy. "There will likely be dusty wind and low humidity (Tuesday), so we can expect pretty extensive fire weather behavior."
The Adelaide Complex south of Kanosh has grown to 6,800 acres despite several retardant drops and burnbacks Monday.
Officials closed several roads and several camping sites in the area, along with the entire Adelaide campground, Felmy said. Flames also reportedly threatened several unoccupied summer homes in Millard County.
Officials remind people to beware of the fire dangers in the area when making travel plans.
Winds eased long enough for crews to make progress on the 7600-acre Honey Boy fire in Beaver County. Still, erratic winds were expected Tuesday, hindering progress for both air and ground crews, according to the Bureau of Land Management.
The Teddy Bear fire in Tooele County was active early Tuesday, burning about 6,000 acres, said Klien.
The blaze knocked out electricity in the tiny town of Dell for a short time Monday before workers restored power.
Calmer winds could help containment efforts, said Klien.
Investigators are trying to determine whether a person might be responsible for downing a power line that touched off a fire Sunday afternoon in Sterling Hollow.
Tom Wroe, Utah County fire marshal, said authorities know the power line ignited the fire, but they aren't exactly sure how it came to be on the ground. Witnesses told investigators they saw people leaving the area as the blaze started about 4:30 p.m. But unlike the many other fires burning in Utah, Wroe said, it wasn't started by lightning.
The dangling power line hindered initial fire-suppression efforts. Officials had to shut power down and ground the cable before crews could get into the area about one-half mile from U.S. 6. Flames also threatened three rows of power lines on the hillside, including two that send electricity to Southern California and Southern Utah. Crews did not have to shut down service to those areas, Wroe said.
Firefighters continue to battle the fire that has burned about 200 acres of oak brush in steep, rocky terrain on the northeast side of U.S. 6.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Utah fires
1 - Leamington Complex: series of fires has burned about 100,000 acres near Fishlake National Forest and southern Juab County.
2 - Adelaide Complex: two fires near Kanosh have destroyed 6,200 acres of sage, oak and mountain mahogany.
3 - Honey Boy fire: Crews gained the upper hand Monday on 7,600-acre blaze burning in Beaver County.
4 - Teddy Bear fire: 5,000-acre fire temporarily halted power in tiny town of Dell.
5 - Sterling Hollow fire: human-caused blaze has burned about 200 acres in Spanish Fork Canyon.