A fire on the mountainside east of Mapleton torched around 50 acres in the early morning hours of Saturday, and officials suspect a juvenile or juveniles caused it.
Firefighters, though, have stalled the fire’s progress thanks to efforts on the ground and in the air. “Unbelievable work was done throughout the night by many different fire agencies. They made fantastic progress and we are happy to report that forward progression of the fire has been stopped,” the Mapleton Police Department said in a Facebook post Saturday morning.
While saying the blaze was human-caused, officials didn’t provide more details as the investigation into the Utah County fire continues. Numerous agencies have assisted in fighting the fire.
“The last thing that I’m going to announce today is that the origin of the fire is human-caused. Mapleton police officers have identified how the fire started and the juvenile(s) that are responsible. There is still more investigating that needs to be done, so at this point, this is all we are prepared to release,” John Jackson, the Mapleton police chief, said in a statement.
Efforts to keep the fire in check will continue in the coming days, Jackson said, while UtahFireInfo reported that continuing suppression efforts Saturday would come from the ground and air.
Authorities reported no injuries from the fire. In its more active stage in the early morning hours of Saturday, the fire headed up the mountainside, away from homes. The potential threat had prompted an evacuation warning in the initial hours of the blaze, but no actual evacuations.