A fire last summer that burned more than 27,000 acres west of the Stansbury Mountains and north of the Skull Valley Goshute Reservation has led authorities to ban motorized access for at least two years to let the land recover.

This means no motorized travel, even on dirt roads, will be allowed through the area that burned during the Big Pole fire in August, said Erin Darboven, spokeswoman for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's West Desert District.

"Anything that's been affected by the burn will be closed off. That's to deflect people from getting off roads," she said, "which right now are unidentifiable because [the fire] burned so hot."

The Big Pole fire started Aug. 7, likely due to a lightning strike. Winds pushed it north from the foothills north of Skull Valley toward Interstate 80, at times moving 50 to 60 mph before shifting southeast, burning sagebrush, cheat grass and timber along the way.

The fire burned one house and a commercial building. No one was hurt. A half-dozen ranches were under voluntary evacuation recommendations.

The closure doesn't affect nonmotorized travel or hiking, officials said.

Glenn Carpenter, BLM's West Desert district manager, said people need to heed the restrictions so the burned area can be rehabilitated. Running all-terrain vehicles, trucks or cars across the ground damages soil, watershed, vegetation and cultural resources. Traffic also can damage plants and create erosion channels that divert water away from topsoil.

"Those who drive into the burned areas," Carpenter said, "could jeopardize the efforts to stabilize soils."

The BLM is posting signs in the restricted area and will provide maps for further information.