South Summit firefighters stopped a wildfire from spreading Wednesday on the west side of Democrat Alley.
Crews at 3 p.m. were dispatched to a small brush fire estimated to be between 3 and 4 acres. No structures were threatened.
Firefighters established a perimeter around the fire, achieving 20% containment, and halted its forward progress Wednesday evening.
The brush fire was 40% contained as of Thursday afternoon with crews continuing to work on it. Updated mapping showed 15.7 acres burned.
It was at least the fourth start in one week. Summit County firefighters on Monday extinguished the Murdock Hollow Fire. They also battled the Browns Canyon Fire and Dikker Hill Fire over the weekend.
A seasonal fire outlook determined danger is just heating up, according to the Great Basin Coordination Center. There’s been below normal precipitation and above normal temperatures across the west this summer. Fine fuels are also at an increased risk of catching.
The four month fire potential anticipates heightened danger in August and September with conditions trending toward normal in October and November.
There have been 708 fires in Utah so far this season. Most, 491, were human caused. More than 43,300 acres have burned.
Officials are urging the public to be mindful of their surroundings as summer swelters on. Existing conditions and little rain have created the perfect environment for a spark to catch. Heavy wind can also cause a fire to spread faster than expected.
Fire danger in Summit County was extreme as of Friday.
Text SCFIREINFO to 888777 for updates on Summit County’s fire outlook and conditions, red flag warnings, prescribed burns, information on active fires and more.