STOCKTON, Utah — A wildfire that was sparked Monday night in Tooele County exploded in size overnight due to 55-mph wind gusts, and it even knocked out power in some areas.
But fortunately, officials say they have made good progress, and it's 40 percent contained as of Tuesday evening.
The North Tooele Fire District said the South Mountain Fire was first reported Monday around 8:30 p.m. on private land west of Stockton and south of the Tooele Army Depot. The latest estimate was 1,863 acres.
Officials have confirmed that the fire was human-caused, but did not elaborate on how it was started.
As of Tuesday afternoon, crews do not have an official estimate on containment. However, the NTFD said they have "gain[ed] the upper hand" and that the fire was "significantly knocked back."
Karl Hunt with the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire & State Lands said the wind that initially caused the fire to spread ended up helping their containment efforts.
"The wind shifted and went to the south. That burn operation did hold, and the fire did blow back in on itself, which allowed crews to really actively engage this fire," Hunt said.
Jiani Navarro speaks with residents about concerns over Tooele Co. wildfire:
No evacuations have been ordered in connection with the fire, although an unmanned communications tower on South Mountain was threatened by the flames.
"While we understand the flames are visible throughout Tooele County, please do NOT attempt to get closer to the fire as roads will be needed for crews to enter and exit the area," the fire district shared on social media.
Rocky Mountain Power reported about 1,000 people losing power due to the wildfire response. By Tuesday afternoon, power had been restored to all but seven customers.
