This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Northern Utah's Peterson Hollow Fire had burned 920 acres in northeastern Utah by Wednesday, having more than doubled in size since Monday, as it crossed into Idaho.
The blaze, first spotted Sunday 12 miles northwest of Garden City in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, was not threatening any structures but precautionary protection was in place for Beaver Mountain Lodge and surrounding buildings, according to forest service information officer Sierra Hellstrom.
The fire — which is visible from U.S. 89 in Logan Canyon — was creating a traffic hazard from motorists pulling over to watch it. Hellstrom said sheriff's officers would be patrolling in the area to keep traffic moving.
More than 200 firefighters were working to establish an anchor point from which to extend containment lines, but as of Wednesday the fire — of undetermined origin — remained out of control and zero percent contained.
On Monday, the blaze had been reported at less than 400 acres.
But Tuesday's strong winds caused extreme fire behavior and cross-canyon spotting, Hellstrom said. The fire front moved eastward and north, and on Wednesday was active on both sides of Sink Hollow.
Crews were working to keep the fire east of the Logan River Drainage and north of Beaver Mountain.
In central Utah, the lightning-caused Briggs Fire had burned 3,347 acres since it began on Aug. 9, 10 miles northeast of central Beaver. About 120 firefighters were monitoring the fire, which continued to flare through mixed conifer and brush a rugged, remote terrain near the south fork of North Creek in the Fishlake National Forest, said Fire Information Officer Adam Solt.
In Sanpete County, the lightning-caused Porcupine Fire was 20 percent contained Wednesday, having burned 1,900 acres of timber and grass 7 miles southeast of Mayfield since it began on July 23. About 75 firefighters were monitoring the Manti-LaSal National Forest blaze, said Fire Information Officer Brandon Hoffman.
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