SALT LAKE CITY — A wildfire that spread rapidly across the foothills above Salt Lake City over the weekend is nearing containment.
The Bonneville Fire has burned since Saturday above the University of Utah and Red Butte Canyon.
Fire officials announced Tuesday morning that the blaze is now 84 percent contained at 566 acres. They add that the fire's activity was very quiet overnight and that personnel from this fire are being shared with other areas of the state.
Plans are also moving forward for a Ziggy Marley concert at the Red Butte Garden on Tuesday night at 6:30. Officials do ask those attending to use extra caution and avoid blocking roadways.
"The firefighters were able to get a fire break around the entire perimeter. Most of the edge was cold, and crews continue to cool the remaining heat sources that are found," Utah Fire Info wrote in a Facebook post.
An evacuation "READY" status for the Arlington Hill neighborhood was issued but later lifted as crews achieved some containment.
Air and ground crews have made progress in battling the flames, and overnight cloud cover and humidity helped moderate fire behavior.
Officials give update on Bonneville Fire in video below:
Public information officer Sierra Hellstrom said they have "seen great success" in the effort to contain the fire.
Although residents may not see flames or smoke, Hellstrom said Monday afternoon that there is still an active fire. She said it exhibited "extreme" fire behavior on Saturday, then "moderate" behavior on Sunday, and as of Monday, the fire behavior is "minimal."
In fact, Hellstrom said most smoke in the Salt Lake Valley is actually coming from the 6,000-acre Hastings Fire burning in Tooele County.
"One of the most common misconceptions about wildfires is that if you can’t see flames or smoke, the fire is out," said the Salt Lake City Fire Department. "In reality, fires can remain active beneath the surface or in unburned fuels, appearing dormant for hours or even days. When conditions become favorable for wildland fires, especially with increased heat, lower humidity, or stronger winds, fire activity can quickly intensify and spread."
Officials added that although the fire did spread northwest, it is still south of Dry Gulch Drainage, east of the Bonneville Shoreline, and north of Red Butte Canyon.
Hiking trails in City Creek Canyon, Red Butte Canyon, Bonneville Shoreline, and Dry Gulch are closed.
A shelter-in-place order originally in place on Saturday evening was lifted for the entire university campus. The University of Utah Hospital remained operating as usual and was accepting walk-in patients. Ambulances were directed to other hospitals in the area for a time, although that order has also been lifted.
Fire officials initially reported that Red Butte Garden and the Natural History Museum were to be closed Sunday due to wildfire risk. However, both locations were later given clearance to open to patrons at their normal business hours with caution.
Officials are asking the public to avoid the area, and also to not fly drones nearby, as doing so can interfere with helicopters and planes that are used for firefighting purposes.
There have been a few road closures in the far east portion of the campus. Several hiking trails in the area are also closed to the public.
The cause of the fire is not yet known.
