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Tank Hollow Fire: Crews focus on further spread of 4,600-acre blaze

A lightning-caused wildfire in Spanish Fork Canyon topped 4,600 acres on Monday, with crews focused on halting its spread and dousing any hot spots near campgrounds, watersheds and power lines.

Fire Information Officer Loyal Clark said the blaze, which began Aug. 11 about 20 miles east of Spanish Fork near Sheep Creek and north of Highway 6, began the day 40 percent contained, but by the afternoon, the wildfire grew by 1,100 acres and containment had dropped to 20 percent. By Monday night, the fire was burning 4,635 acres.

Full containment is not expected until mid-October.

“Right now, we‘re adopting what we call a ’confine/contain’ strategy,” Clark said, explaining that meant holding flames back on the borders of the blaze while allowing it to burn within its remote  interior.

“A lot of the terrain is steep, rugged and hazardous and extremely difficult to access,” she said.

Roughly 220 firefighters were assigned to the fire, which was scorching timber, grass and brush.  Helicopters bearing water and fire-retardant laden tanker planes were being called upon to target flareups along the blaze’s perimeter.

On Sunday, flames came within a quarter-acre of a power line, but crews protected it by cutting a bulldozer line around it and laying down fire retardant chemicals on the site from above.

No injuries have been reported, and no structures have been lost or directly threatened.

The next few days could prove critical for firefighting efforts, as high temperatures, gusty winds and extremely dry conditions are expected in the region. Isolated thunderstorms also could prove problematic.

Road and campground closures include the area at the Junction of Sheep Creek Road (Forest Service Road #051) and Indian Creek Road (Forest Service Road #042) known as Unicorn Ridge campground and the dispersed camping area, including entire segments of Forest Service Road #032, Forest Service Road #761, Tie Fork Road (Forest Service Road #725) and Upper Tie Fork Single Track Trail (Forest Service Trail #023).