Recent Fires Challenge Firefighters In Utah’s Dry Conditions

Smoke in the air, everywhere!

Obviously the Forsyth Fire sends a lot of smoke through the air all over Washington County (update: Forsyth is 26 percent contained and firefighters are making headway every day).

Read More Here: Smoke From Local Wildfires Brings Haze But Not Big Health Risks

And the France Canyon Fire is assaulting Iron County with plenty of smoky air (update: France Canyon Fire is the biggest one in Utah at 33,000 acres and is 23 percent contained).

New Smoke

But Southern Utahns also saw a couple of new plumes of smoke this weekend. Fortunately, our local firefighters knocked them down quickly.

Both new fires were near I-15 and were caused by vehicles/humans.

There was a small brush fire along Interstate 15 near Toquerville Sunday. 

The blaze broke out just after 1 p.m. near mile marker 29, burning through dry grass and brush. 

Officials say the fire scorched about 1.3 acres before it was fully contained.

No injuries were reported, and investigators believe it was likely human-caused, possibly sparked by a blown tire.

Van Fire

And right off Exit 8 in St. George, a woman is safe after her van caught fire Sunday afternoon. It happened just before 4 p.m. near Exit 8.

The Utah Highway Patrol said the woman was driving a 2015 Dodge Caravan when she noticed smoke, pulled over, and got out. Moments later, the vehicle became fully engulfed in flames. 

She wasn’t injured, but the van is a total loss. UHP says the fire may have started in the rear, possibly linked to the catalytic converter, though that’s still under investigation. 

Fire crews arrived quickly and were able to contain the flames before they could spread to nearby brush.

Deadly Crashes

There were also a couple of deaths involving vehicles recently.

A tragic crash in LaVerkin over the weekend has left one person dead and another seriously injured. 

The collision happened just after 8:30 Saturday night near mile marker 13 on state Route 9,  an area known locally as the LaVerkin Twist. 

A motorcycle heading north appears to have drifted into the southbound lane, striking an oncoming Ford Focus. 

A man and woman were riding the motorcycle. Both were thrown from the bike in the impact. The woman died at the scene. The man, who was driving, suffered severe leg injuries and was airlifted to St. George Regional Hospital.

And just across the Utah border in rural Arizona, a 13-year-old girl is dead after an off-road crash.

Two girls were riding in a side-by-side when the driver began doing donuts in a dirt field. The passenger reportedly leaned out, and when the vehicle rolled, it landed on her. 

She died at the scene. Authorities say the driver ran nearly a quarter-mile to get help, since there was no cell service in the area. 

Neither girl was wearing safety gear, and investigators say the case will be sent to the county attorney for review.

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