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MARYSVALE, Piute County — Dozens of fires have sparked across the state this summer, and after weeks of work from firefighting crews, some major wildfires are close to being fully contained.
Early July saw significant growth of wildfires in southern and central Utah while the state endured a heat wave. There have been 645 fires in Utah this year, burning approximately 41,269 acres, according to Utah Fire Info.
The Silver King fire sparked west of Marysvale, Piute County, on July 5 from lightning and quickly grew to over 10,000 acres in a few days. As of Friday, the blaze has grown to 18,222 acres and is now 86% contained.
The next few days are likely to bring "red flag" fire conditions, which will test the containment lines crews have established, a release from Fishlake National Forest said Friday. Crews are focusing on suppression and repair while securing wildfire edges where possible.
Also blazing in the Fishlake National Forest is the Little Twist Fire, which started as a controlled burn before transitioning into a wildfire in mid-June. The fire reached 5,367 acres and, as of Friday, is 85% contained.
Farther south in Kane County, the Deer Springs fire started on July 7. In just two days, the blaze grew to more than 11,000 acres, causing officials to shut down recreation in the Nephi Pasture Region.
At 11,784 acres, the fire is now 95% contained. The fire appears to be human-caused, but it is still under investigation.
In eastern Utah, the Speirs Fire was started by lightning on July 13. It has burned more than 700 acres and caused several campground closures near the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area. It is now 68% contained.
Antelope Island was shut down Tuesday as a grass fire burned almost 60 acres.
Another fire near Salt Lake Valley broke out last weekend near Ensign Peak, causing temporary evacuations for some neighborhoods. The fire is 362 acres and is now 84% contained.
