FORT DUCHESNE, Uintah County — A firefighter is recovering after being injured while battling a human-caused brush fire.
What's being referred to as the East Ute Plaza Fire sparked Tuesday about 4 p.m., about a quarter mile east of Fort Duchesne near the intersection of U.S. 40 and 7500 East, the Uintah Fire District said.
The fire prompted a response from local, state, and federal agencies.
A firefighter from the LaPoint-Tridell crew was injured as crews were suppressing the blaze and received immediate first aid, the fire district said Wednesday. The firefighter was then transported to a burn center for additional treatment.
"He is currently receiving excellent care and is doing well under the circumstances. Our thoughts and prayers remain with him and his family during recovery," fire officials said Thursday in a statement.
The fire burned about 20 acres, and an initial evacuation warning was issued as a precautionary measure, said Jordan Nesbitt, public information officer with the Uintah Basin Fire Center. Fire crews were able to protect nearby homes and get around the fire, which was running south through heavy brush and cottonwoods.
U.S. 40 was closed for a time on Tuesday as a fire burned near the highway, reducing visibility due to the wind.
As of Thursday, the fire was contained to 10 acres, officials said.
The Uintah Fire District said the blaze was human-caused, but an investigation is ongoing to determine its origin.
