This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Fire has closed one of Zion National Park's most popular trails, but but no effort was made to battle the blaze.

Lightning ignited what is being called the Cathedral Fire a few nights ago, according to a news release from the park. Rangers discovered the fire Friday night.

The 50-acre blaze is on a mesa on Cathedral Mountain to the west of Angels Landing. The National Park Service said the fire is too remote and there isn't enough egress to deploy firefighters. So the park service on Saturday was letting the fire burn.

There is a concern the fire could ignite vegetation near Angels Landing. A tweet from Zion National Park on Saturday said portions of the West Rim Trail is closed and Angels Landing "is not accessible" due to fire concerns.

The West Rim Trail from The Grotto to Scout Lookout is closed due to a fire. Angels Landing is not accessible from Zion Canyon at this time.

— Zion National Park (@ZionNPS) July 11, 2015

Firefighters escorted visitors who were at the top of Angels Landing down from the mountain. The park service said the fire is not threatening any park structures or significant sites and firefighters will combat the blaze if it ignites vegetation below.

ncarlisle@sltrib.com

Twitter: @natecarlisle