Crews from across the country continued to gain on Utah's largest wildfire Sunday.

The Big Pole fire was estimated to be 55 percent contained on Sunday, said Bureau of Land Management spokesman Terry Krasko. The 44,200-acre fire is located near Grantsville in Tooele County.

Cloud cover, cooler temperatures and higher humidity aided 13 crews from as far as Pennsylvania and West Virginia, along with eight engines, three bulldozers and six helicopters.

On Sunday, fire managers continued protecting several ranches threatened by the blaze by constructing fire breaks and inserting crews in hot spots along ridge tops. No structures were threatened as of Sunday night, said Krasko.

The fire was sparked by lightning on Wednesday night and exploded in size Thursday, burning one residential and one commercial structure as strong winds fueled its advance. No one was hurt. The winds started to die down Friday, however, and fire crews have made progress against the flames.

Lindsay Whitehurst