FRUITLAND, Utah — New wildfires that were sparked Saturday afternoon are threatening structures, and some residents are being told to prepare for possible evacuation.
In Box Elder County, northwest of Tremonton, the Johnson Canyon Fire has grown quickly to an estimated 1,600 acres, according to Utah Fire Info. Structures are threatened, and residents of Portage have been placed in "Ready" status — the first of three levels of evacuation preparedness.
It began as a "stubble field fire" on Johnson Canyon Road, officials said, about five miles north of I-84.
Additionally, the Grass Willow Fire in Duchesne County is "actively spreading" and posing a threat to structures. The exact number or type of structures were not specified.
The Grass Willow Fire is burning near Fruitland, east of Strawberry Reservoir and west of the town of Duchesne. Officials say it was human-caused.
There were a number of additional new wildfires that broke out Saturday: the Winkle Bob Fire on Cove Mountain in Sevier County, and the Black Canyon Fire near Ephraim.
