EAGLE MOUNTAIN — A fire burning west of Utah Lake that exploded overnight and was getting close to buildings had spread to 6,500 acres Thursday.
The Goose Point Fire was uncontrolled on the slopes of West Mountain at the southern end of Utah Lake as of Thursday night, the Bureau of Land Management said.
According to state fire watchers, the fire west of Utah Lake “grew actively overnight to reach an estimated 3,000 acres.” After more than doubling in size, the blaze was 60% contained by Thursday afternoon. Containment remained the same into the evening.
The cause of the fire was unknown Thursday. It started about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday and was initially reported to be about 100 acres. But thanks to heavy grass and difficulty accessing it due to steep terrain, the flames quickly grew, moving from the west side to the east side of the mountain.
No homes were burned in the fire. Radio towers and the West Mountain Observatory were threatened when the fire first began, but firefighters were able to successfully keep the flames at bay, the BLM said.
Smoke from the fire blew into Salt Lake County, where many residents woke Thursday to a campfire-like smell in the air.
Dozers on Wednesday night built six miles of containment lines Wednesday night and continued to build fire line around the perimeter of the blaze Thursday, fire officials said.
Target shooting, camping, and unnecessary traffic are currently restricted in the land surrounding the Goose Point Fire in Utah County, including south of Lincoln Beach Road, west of 5600 West, north of Highway 141, and east of the North Lake Road.
Just after noon on Thursday, another fire about 10 miles north of Beaver temporarily shut down I-15.
Named the Mile Marker 122 Fire, the blaze began when a truck hauling a carnival rides trailer detached and rolled, said Utah Highway Patrol Cpl. Andy Battenfield. The truck was driving south and rolled to the right, according to Battenfield, sparking the fire west of I-15. No one was injured in the rollover, he said.
Both northbound and southbound lanes near Beaver were closed throughout the afternoon, but had reopened by about 5 p.m. No buildings are threatened by the fire.
Shortly before 7 p.m. Thursday, the fire had grown to 1,000 acres and was 25% contained, state fire officials said. Though the freeway is open, they urged caution from drivers passing through the area as firefighters continue to work.