IVINS — Lightning storms on Saturday sparked three wildfires across the Arizona Strip. And chances are, residents of Southern Utahn have smelled the smoke.
According to wildfire.gov, the Bureau of Land Management Arizona Strip District fire crews are currently managing four wildland fires south of St. George.
The Quail Springs Fire, located 14 miles south of St. George, was reported at 3:30 p.m. on July 13. This lightning-caused fire is estimated to cover 3,000 acres, with eight smoke jumpers and two fire engines currently on the scene.
The Gulch Fire, located 12 miles south-southwest of St. George, was reported at 4:14 p.m. This lightning-caused fire was initally estimated to cover 3,000 acres, with 2 engines currently on the scene. On Saturday, two Single Engine Air Tankers (SEATs) performed retardant drops on both fires. However, due to a high wind event, air support has been placed on hold, as retardant drops are ineffective in high winds and pose a significant risk to pilots.
“We just want to avoid any unnecessary risks to any of our fire staff,” Rachel Carnahan, Public Relations Specialist with the Arizona Strip Bureau of Land Management, told St. George News.
Due to more accurate mapping, the Gulch Fire acreage has been reduced to 632 acres. Resources on the lightning-cause fire include 3 Type 6, 1 Type 5, and 1 Type 3 engines, 1 dozer, 1 Type 2 initial attack crew, 1 Type 2 crew and a Type 4 incident commander.
Fire crews are also on scene with two engines, one water tender and an Incident Command Type 4 Team at the 100-acre Little Jo Fire located 30 miles south of St. George. Carnahan said the Little Jo fire has now expanded to 101 acres, with the water tender making its rounds between all three fires.
Fire managers are asking for the public’s assistance by avoiding the area to allow crews and resources to access and mitigate the fire.
“There’s so much that happens on the ground,” she said. “A lot of these areas are really steep terrain, really difficult to get to. So that makes it pretty challenging for fire crews on the ground. When people are considerate of that, and just generally try to avoid those areas where there’s high-fire traffic, that helps us out a ton.”
Updated Monday, July 15, 7 p.m.: According to a news release, the BLM Arizona Strip District’s fire crews, along with partner agencies and municipal crews, are suppressing four wildland fires located south of St. George.
The Gulch Fire, 12 miles south/southwest of St. George on the Arizona Strip Field Office, was reported July 13 at 4:14 p.m. Due to more accurate mapping, the fire acreage was reduced on Sunday’s mapping but due to slight growth is now 932 acres. Resources on the lightning-caused fire include three Type 6, one Type 5 and one Type 3 engines; one dozer, one Type 2 initial attack crew, one Type 2 crew, and a Type 3 incident commander. Containment is 20%.
The Quail Springs Fire, 14 miles south of St. George on the Arizona Strip Field Office, was reported July 13 at 3:30 p.m. Due to more accurate mapping, the fire acreage has been reduced to 1,635 acres. Resources on the lightning-caused fire include eight smokejumpers, one Type 6 engine, one Type 3 engine and a Type 3 incident commander. Containment is 10%.
The Little Joe Fire was reported July 13 and is located 30 miles south of St. George on the Arizona Strip Field Office. The fire acreage is estimated at 101 acres. Resources on the lightning-caused fire include two Type 6 engines, one Type 4 engine and a Type 4 Incident Commander. A water tender is roving between all fires to assist.
Fire crews are also suppressing the lightning-caused Grove Fire on the Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument, which was reported at 7:30 p.m. on July 14 and is located 65 miles south of St. George in the Mount Dellenbaugh area. Resources on the 32-acre fire include three Type 6 engines and one Type 4 engine. The Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument is jointly managed by the BLM and NPS.
Fire managers are asking for the public’s assistance by avoiding the areas to allow crews and resources to access and mitigate the fires, the news release said.
Click here for fire updates. For additional information, contact the Arizona Strip District at 435-688-3200.
Photo Gallery
Lightning storms on Saturday sparked three wildfires across the Arizona Strip, St. George, Utah, July 14, 2024 | Photo courtesy of Jake Carlen, St. George News
Lightning storms on Saturday sparked three wildfires across the Arizona Strip, St. George, Utah, July 14, 2024 | Photo courtesy of Ron Chaffin, St. George News
Lightning storms on Saturday sparked three wildfires across the Arizona Strip, St. George, Utah, July 14, 2024 | Photo courtesy of Eric Goold, St. George News
A map shows the locations of three wildfires across the Arizona Strip | Photo courtesy of Ron, St. George News
Smoke seen from near the airport in St. George, Utah, July 13, 2024 | Photo courtesy of Jerry Dauphinais, St. George News
The Quail Spring Fire, located 14 miles south of St. George, Utah, July 14, 2024 | Photo courtesy of Rachel Carnahan/BLM Aristona Strip District, St. George News
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