This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
Under an unforgiving sun amid tinder-dry grass, brush and timber, firefighters on Monday were battling a 400-acre blaze at the Dinosaur National Monument along the Utah-Colorado border.
National Park Service spokesman Dan Johnson said the blaze, burning in the Ecklund Draw area near the Green River's Lodore Canyon, was believed to have been sparked by lightning late Saturday night.
As temperatures in the region soared into the triple digits, the flames were steadily spreading within an "old fire scar" area fueled by Ponderosa pine undergrowth. The fire was creeping into Bureau of Land Management holdings near Black Ridge, as well as the Diamond Breaks Wilderness Study Area, Johnson said.
"The Ecklund Fire presents no immediate threat to monument visitors or structures. No evacuations are in effect at this time," Johnson added.
Smoke may be visible in the monument from overlooks along the Harpers Corner Road and from along the Green River corridor through Lodore Canyon.
The upper lot of the Canyon Overlook along the Harpers Corner Road will remain closed while it is used for helicopter operations. The fire has not impacted any other visitor service or facility.
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