5:30PM: Wildfire breaks out in northern Utah as older fires continue to burn throughout the state

5PM: Wildfire breaks out in northern Utah as older fires continue to burn throughout the state

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PORTAGE, Box Elder County — Fires throughout the state burned Saturday, with winds, high temperatures and low humidity stoking the blazes.

A "red flag" warning was issued by the National Weather Service for the Uinta Basin, San Rafael Swell and other areas. The warning — given when there are strong winds, high temperatures and somewhat low humidity — is a signal there may be more wildfires to come.

Wildfires burned in the northern, eastern and southern parts of the state.

Portage

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In Northern Utah, a fire broke out east of I-15 near the town of Portage, at about noon, Saturday, according to Box Elder County spokesman Mitch Zundel.

The fire burned 332 acres up the hillsides east of I-15. As of 9 p.m., the fire was 40 percent contained with crews suspending their battle against the blaze for the night.

Zundel said there were some structures threatened by the fire, but no real damage was done.

There were approximately 45 firefighters on scene Saturday and 90 expected to continue fighting the blaze Sunday.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Willard Fire

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A fire that was sparked by a downed power line near Willard in Box Elder County is estimated to have burned 211 acres since Friday, officials said.

Zundel said the fire had moved away from homes near the foot of the hill and was burning up the hillside east of U.S. 89 Saturday morning. He said as the fire moved up the hill into steep and rocky terrain, “there’s not a lot of firefighting (crews) can do.”

There were approximately 85 firefighters working on fighting and containing this fire Saturday.

Officials said smoke would be visible around the area for a few days.

As of 7 p.m., the fire was 75 percent contained. Officials said they hoped to have it fully contained Sunday. They also planned to send away part of their crew Sunday morning to help battle the fire in Portage.

At least one unauthorized drone flew over the fire crews in Portage Saturday, officials said. The use of drones is illegal in active wildfire areas, and may interfere with an air crew's ability to fight an blaze from overhead.

Maeser Fire

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In Uintah County, a wildfire that started Friday and forced temporary evacuations for residents in the Yellow Hill subdivision was 30 percent contained as of 7:40 p.m. Saturday.

Initially the shape of the fire caused air crews to estimate the size of the fire to be 2,500 acres. But as smoke cleared Saturday, and crews could see its perimeter more clearly, they determined the size of the fire to be 885 acres, said Uintah Basin Interagency Fire Center spokesman Don Jaques.

"Previous estimates of the fire size were difficult as the fire had burned along finger like topography, making the burned area appear much higher," Jaques said.

A separate spot fire ignited and burned approximately a quarter acre, Saturday. Firefighters and an aircraft extinguished the spot fire and kept the main fire from growing.

“The primary objectives that we’ll have is to continue to keep the fire away from the Yellow Hill subdivision and the Painted Hills subdivision,” Jaques said.

Fire crews were working Saturday to contain the fire and put out any hot spots.

No homes have been affected by the fire, but a small out-building in an industrial area was destroyed, Jaques said.

There were no evacuations or road closures Saturday. Fire officials are urging people to stay away from the fire area and surrounding hills until the fire can be contained.

Jaques said forecasted weather conditions for Sunday continue to predict high temperatures, low humidity and wind. Because of this, he urged those throughout the Uintah Basin to exercise extreme caution with fires and with items that can spark a fire.

Approximately 130 firefighters, seven engines, one helicopter and one dozer were working on the fire Saturday, according to Jaques.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Related

Wildfire forces evacuations near Vernal A wildfire forced at least one neighborhood in Maeser to evacuate and state Route 121 to close temporarily Friday afternoon, according to Uintah County Sheriff's Sgt. Brian Fletcher.

Southern Utah fires

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In Washington County, two separate fires started in the Pine Valley Ranger District, 20 miles southwest of Cedar City.

The first fire, in Grass Valley about 5 miles north of Pine Valley, burned approximately 13 acres and was 90 percent contained as of 7:30 p.m. Saturday, according to Dixie National Forest public information officer Cigi Burton.

A firefighter was flown to an area hospital after a heat-related illness set in while he was battling the fire, Saturday. The firefighter is recovering and in stable condition, Burton said.

The second fire, two miles away from Grass Valley, is estimated to have burned 492 acres and was 5 percent contained as of Saturday evening, Burton said. The fire was most active on the northeast side and had backed toward a rocky cliff.

No structures were threatened or evacuations ordered in the area, Saturday.

Officials said forest roads 011 and 014 were closed until further notice. The Pinto Springs Campground and the Paradise Springs Trailhead were also closed. Officials urged people to avoid these areas.

St. George News also reported that a power line was damaged by one of the fires, causing power outages to Pine Valley residents Friday night.

The cause of both fires was still under investigation as of Saturday evening.

Officials said concerned residents can sign up to receive notifications from the Washington County Emergency Alert System at 911register.com. Anyone experiencing problems with online registration may call 435-634-5700 for assistance.

Contributing:Marjorie Cortez

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