CEDAR CITY — A human-caused wildfire near an Enoch church quickly grew to about 25 acres in less than an hour Sunday evening.
Updated at 7:43 p.m. on July 28: While the fire was initially reported at 10 acres when forward progression was halted, Cedar City Fire Chief Mike Phillips told Cedar City News that GPS data showed the fire was approximately 25 acres.
The “Tank Fire” was first reported shortly before 5 p.m. Iron County Fire Warden Ryan Riddle said the exact cause is still under investigation, but it appears to have originated from Interstate 15, so investigators suspect the cause is related to a motor vehicle. The warden works with the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands.
The fire is burning between two water tanks on Old Highway 91. According to Utah Fire Info, it threatened nearby structures. Phillips said it burned “right up to” the Valley Bible Church.
Still, firefighters stopped its forward progression in less than an hour and Riddle estimated it is about 50% contained. While some fencing was damaged, the church reportedly remained unscathed. No injuries were reported.
Crews are still working on mop-up operations.
Various resources were dispatched to the scene, including four Cedar City brush trucks, two water tenders, a Type 1 fire engine, an Iron County dozer, and two single-engine air tankers. The Cedar Mountain Fire Protection District provided an engine. The Bureau of Land Management provided four engines and Forestry, Fire and State Lands deployed two engines and a Type 2 20-person hand crew.
The Utah Highway Patrol, Enoch Police Department and Iron County Sheriff’s Office also assisted at the scene, while Iron County Emergency Management coordinated from behind the scenes in case evacuations were required.
While the Utah Department of Transportation reported that traffic along the highway and southbound Interstate 15 near mile marker 64 was interrupted, it reportedly resumed shortly after 6 p.m.
Riddle said that Southern Utahns should be mindful of the area’s hot, dry conditions and that the region is still under fire restrictions.
“We’ve had several fires resulting from blown tires, dragging chains, lightning strikes — which is obviously natural — and shooting and debris burning,” he said. “So we just caution people that they need to check the restrictions before they go out recreating and make sure their equipment’s in good working order. And be aware that it’s extremely dry and these fires are moving extremely fast.”
Photo Gallery
A vehicle reportedly caused a fire on Old Highway 91 in Enoch, Utah, July 28, 2024 | Photo courtesy of Utah Fire Info, Cedar City News A vehicle reportedly caused a fire on Old Highway 91 in Enoch, Utah, July 28, 2024 | Photo courtesy of Megan Moses, Cedar City News A vehicle reportedly caused a fire on Old Highway 91 in Enoch, Utah, July 28, 2024 | Photo courtesy of Megan Moses, Cedar City News A vehicle reportedly caused a fire on Old Highway 91 in Enoch, Utah, July 28, 2024 | Photo courtesy of Megan Moses, Cedar City News A vehicle reportedly caused a fire on Old Highway 91 in Enoch, Utah, July 28, 2024 | Photo courtesy of Megan Moses, Cedar City News
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