A 1,900-acre wildfire burning in central Utah is not expected to be contained until mid-September, fire officials said today.
"Where the fire's at, we cannot get resources right up to it to actively fight it," said Sherie Taylor with the Richfield Interagency Fire Center.
The Lowery's fire is burning about 6 miles east of Scipio, Millard County, in the Japs Valley. It is torching heavy pinyon juniper, oak brush and grass and was only 5 percent contained as of this morning. For firefighters, the struggle has been getting to the blaze to try to squelch it. The fire is burning in difficult terrain, posing some safety risks for firefighters on the ground.
"It's not even safe to try and put anybody into those areas," Taylor said today.
Instead, fire officials have thrown a number of resources at the wildfire, including ordering helicopters and air attack crews. Yet resources remain scarce when compared to other wildfires burning across the western United States.
Fire officials said the wildfire continues to burn in heavy fuels, churning large columns of smoke into the sky. The fire was sparked by lightning Aug. 20.
"It'll probably burn until it snows, or until it puts itself out," Taylor said.
Firefighters are trying to contain a 300-acre wildfire burning about 24 miles south of Milford, Beaver County. The Monument fire started Wednesday afternoon, and the Bureau of Land Management said it was believed to have been sparked by lightning.
"You can see it from Cedar City and Minersville and Milford, but it's burning out there," said the BLM's LaCee Bartholomew.
Meanwhile, firefighters are making progress against a wildfire burning today in Box Elder County. The Duncan Canyon fire is 40 percent contained and has burned approximately 1,200 acres since it was started by lightning on Aug. 17.
E-mail: bwinslow@desnews.com