Construction crews building a new fire station in Emigration Canyon on Wednesday sparked a small wildfire that came within 100 yards of homes.
The fire started about 10 a.m. near 5100 East. Construction workers using grinders on concrete and rebar accidentally ignited dry grass in the area, said Salt Lake City fire spokesman Scott Freitag. The ground was so dry that the fire got away from the workers before they could put it out, he said.
By 11:30 a.m., the fire had grown to 15 acres. Freitag said it had come close to several homes, but no structures were damaged.
The wind was working in the favor of firefighters, pushing the flames away from the homes, Freitag said.
Two planes and a helicopter assisted by dropping water and retardant on the fire as crews on the ground worked to build a fire line around it.
By nightfall, crews reached 50 percent containment after the fire spread to 29 acres. Full containment is expected by 6 p.m. today.
Residents of about 16 homes that had been evacuated were allowed back into their homes about 6 p.m., said Tammy Kikuchi, Utah Department of Natural Resources spokeswoman.
The construction crews who started the blaze were working on building Emigration Canyon's first fire station. The $2.8 million Unified Fire Authority station will house four full-time firefighters, a wildland fire engine and a structural fire engine.
Unified Fire Authority Chief Don Berry said the station could be finished by May 2008.
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