RICHFIELD — A vital highway in central Utah is partially reopened after it was closed because of a fast-growing wildfire in the area.
One lane of state Route 24 is now open with police escorts in both directions from about Glenwood to Plateau Junction in Sevier County, according to Sevier County Emergency Management. Officials had closed the highway Thursday evening as the Monroe Canyon Fire approached the road after crossing Bear Valley Road, and it remained closed most of Friday morning.
Firefighters were able to prevent the fire from crossing S.R. 24 through containment efforts Thursday night and Friday morning, Great Basin Complex Incident Management Team No. 5 officials reported. That’s important because the team previously warned that there’s a “high likelihood for large fire growth” should the fire jump the other side of the highway.
It was a win in what has been a difficult week fighting what has become the state’s largest fire this year. The Monroe Canyon Fire burned another 7,000 acres over the past 24 hours, jumping to 55,642 acres since it started on July 13.
Containment of the fire also slipped again, from 11% on Thursday to 7% on Friday, as red flag conditions — a mix of warm temperatures, low relative humidity levels and gusty winds — make for difficult firefighting conditions.
Over 1,200 personnel are now assigned to battle the blaze. Teams were able to stop small fires created by burning embers from the primary fire in the Bagley Ranch area, which continues to be a challenge because of the windy conditions.
Some of the crews were assigned to Burrville, Sevier County, where they “worked diligently” to protect structures and bolster a fire line above the community, the team wrote in its Friday update report. Burrville was one of the areas evacuated on Wednesday.
Another team worked to strengthen a fire line along Little Spring Road by the southeast end of the fire, while ongoing work to protect the Magleby and Manning Meadows areas resumed, the report added.
Gov. Spencer Cox is touring the fire site with other state officials on Friday. The governor declared a state of emergency over the state’s escalating wildfire threats on Thursday, which activates Utah’s emergency operations plan, authorizes the deployment of the Utah National Guard if needed and opens up more resource options for local governments impacted by this year’s wildfires.
This story will be updated.
Comments