A wildfire broke out on a peak above Salt Lake City this weekend, spurring evacuation orders for dozens of nearby homes.
Salt Lake City police released a map of a residential area north of the Utah Capitol building near Ensign Peak where evacuation orders were in place. An evacuation center was established in the Capitol.
The Sandhurst Fire spanned 400 acres as of about 7:30 a.m. local time Sunday, said Bryan Trick, spokesman for the task force handling the blaze. Crews had estimated Saturday that the fire covered 200 acres, he said, but an infrared camera flown overnight provided more accurate mapping data.
“Things are looking really good this morning,” Trick said.
There was minimal growth overnight, he said, adding that the fire is surrounded by burned earth.
“That’s a good sign,” Trick said. “That means that if those hot areas try to pick up, it’s surrounded by those areas that have burned.”
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Helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft battled the blaze, which was fueled by dry brush, police said. The Utah National Guard said its Air Guard sent a 4,000-gallon water truck and two firefighters. Authorities asked people to leave the city’s Memory Grove Park, just east of the Capitol, so helicopters could use it to access water.
This video, from the KCGL-FM radio tower, looking south, shows fire still burning and growing.
Firefighters working at this location tell us the wind keeps shifting which makes it difficult for them to predict the direction of fire travel. #SLC #SLCPD #SaltLakeCity pic.twitter.com/ALJdvM45Dy
— Salt Lake City Police (@slcpd) July 21, 2024High temperatures are raising the risk of wildfires across the West this weekend. About 60 large wildfires were burning, from Washington state to New Mexico.
Salt Lake City Fire Division Chief Bob Silverthorne told reporters in a news briefing Saturday evening that he was “cautiously optimistic” that the fire was contained, with wind conditions becoming more mild as the sun went down.
“One thing that’s in our advantage is just the weather. And the wind has sort of mellowed out,” he told reporters. “I would say it’s contained. I wouldn’t say it’s under control.”
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Trick reiterated Sunday morning that the weak winds were not spreading the flames.
“We’re hopeful and very positive in what we saw from last night,” he said.
Silverthorne said the cause of the fire had not been identified.
Ensign Peak is a popular weekend destination for hikers, but Silverthorne said he was not aware of anyone on trails in the area. The City Creek Canyon trail area was closed, police said, and people were asked to avoid the area.
The fire was visible from the downtown area Saturday, according to footage provided to KUTV, which showed it snaking up the mountainside. The Ensign Peak trailhead is about a mile from the Capitol.
Silverthorne urged Salt Lake City residents to be cautious about the use of fireworks before the Pioneer Day state holiday on Wednesday, as a wet winter created more fuel than usual in the desert landscape.
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