TOOELE COUNTY, Utah — A wildfire that ignited Saturday on Stansbury Island is now fully contained.
The "Tabby Canyon Fire" was sparked Saturday by an exploding target on Bureau of Land Management land on the south side of the island. It spread rapidly due to strong winds from nearby thunderstorms.
Another fire, dubbed the "North Stansbury Fire," sparked on Monday caused by heavy equipment use on private land on the north side of the island.
The two fires met toward the middle of the island on Tuesday. Tuesday evening, state wildfire officials announced that firefighters had reached 100 percent containment for both. The total acreage was estimated at 12,186 — approximately 6,849 for the Tabby Canyon Fire and 5,337 for the North Stansbury Fire.
Stansbury Island, located in the southwest portion of the Great Salt Lake, is 22,314 acres.
No structures were threatened. Crews will patrol and monitor the area for "a couple of days."
Sunday afternoon, the BLM West Desert District announced a fire prevention order that will restrict access to BLM-managed lands in the area of the fire. The order restricts unnecessary entry to the island, including target shooting and camping. At the latest report, it had not been lifted.
"Property owners, grazing permit holders, and other citizens with need to access the area will be asked to coordinate with the incident commander to ensure safety," the agency said in a Facebook post.
Officials reminded target shooters that there are year-round restrictions banning the use of exploding targets and other incendiary devices.
