Cedar City wildfire that started in backyard shed burns 7.5 acres before being contained

Written by Jeff Richards
June 26, 2023

CEDAR CITY— Nearly three dozen firefighters from multiple agencies responded to a fast-moving blaze Monday evening that started in a backyard shed in Cedar City and spread to adjacent properties, burning approximately 7.5 acres before being fully contained.

Scene of a wildfire that burned 7.5 acres near 5000 West and 1000 South in Cedar City, Utah, June 26, 2023 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

The incident was first reported at 6:23 p.m. at a residential property near 5000 West and 1000 North.

Cedar City Fire Chief Mike Phillips said the wind-driven fire started in an outbuilding structure and spread toward a house on the adjacent property to the east, as well as across the road and into a vacant field of sagebrush, grass and weeds to the north.

A total of 33 firefighters responded, comprising the crews of 11 trucks, engines or other types of apparatus, Phillips said.

Responding agencies included Cedar City Fire Department, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands and Kanarraville Fire Department. Assisting with traffic control and other support were Cedar City Police, Iron County Sheriff’s Office and Utah Highway Patrol.

Support also came from the air, as a helicopter made several trips to nearby Lake Quichapa and dropped loads of water onto the smoldering fields.

By approximately 7 p.m., flames no longer were visible, the fire had stopped spreading and crews were dousing remaining hot spots with streams of water.

No injuries were reported.

Although other structures were threatened, the only structure that was destroyed was the shed where the fire started.

“This time of year, you’ve just got to jump on ’em and get ’em knocked out, because if you try to hold your resources back, you’re gonna get bit by ’em,” Phillips told Cedar City News. 

Although the fire is categorized as human-caused, Phillips said the cause is still under investigation.

This report is based on statements from fire officials and may not contain the full scope of findings.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeff Richards, a native of Salt Lake City with family roots in Panguitch, lived in Moab for 20 years before joining St. George News in 2017. Jeff is a longtime journalist and secondary school teacher. He and his wife Penny are the parents of five daughters. They also have three young grandsons and one granddaughter. Jeff and his family enjoy swimming, camping, sightseeing, reading, and taking pictures.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @stgnews@moabjeff@stgnewssports

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