Crews contain small brush fire between I-15, frontage road near Cedar City

Written by Jeff Richards
June 20, 2023

CEDAR CITY — A small fire burned approximately 1.5 acres of roadside brush just north of Cedar City on Tuesday afternoon.

Firefighting crews monitor the scene of a small brush fire near I-15 Exit 62 north of Cedar City, Utah, June 20, 2023 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

The incident was reported shortly before 2 p.m. along the Old Highway 91 frontage road that runs parallel to Interstate 15, just north of Exit 62.

Cedar City Fire Chief Mike Phillips said at the scene that while the cause of the fire is still under investigation, it appears to have started on the east side of the frontage road before being blown northward by 25 mph winds.

Approximately 30 firefighters responded to the incident, including crews from Cedar City Fire Department, U.S. Bureau of Land Management and Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands. Together, they worked quickly to contain the spread of the flames, which was quickly contained. It consumed an estimated 200-yard-long swath of weeds and brush on both sides of the fence that separates the frontage road from the southbound side of the interstate.

Firefighter works the scene of a small fire near I-15 Exit 62 north of Cedar City, Utah, June 20, 2023 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News / Cedar City News

Law enforcement agencies responding to the scene included Cedar City Police Department, Iron County Sheriff’s Office and Enoch Police Department.

No injuries were reported and no structures were damaged or threatened. The fire, which is designated as being human-caused on the Utah Fire Info website, was officially named “MM 62 I15.” 

Traffic along Old Highway 91 was impacted for nearly an hour, including the closure of the road in both directions while firefighters battled the blaze. Meanwhile, I-15 traffic was only minimally affected.

This report is based on preliminary information provided by 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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