Rick Smith, a spokesman with the Color Country Interagency Fire Center, said the fire, named the Bear Creek Fire, was reported at 3:30 p.m. and was burning about eight miles north of Escalante in ponderosa pine.

Kenton Call, a spokesman with the National Forest Service, said Garkane Power has a hydrogenerating plant in the area, but that the plant was not threatened Thursday.

Smith said that there are some structures in the area, but did not know how many or if any were being threatened by the flames.

It is not known what caused the fire that had burned about 300 acres Thursday. Smith called fire conditions in the area extreme.

He said by 6 p.m. two helicopters and two single-engine air tankers were making water and retardant drops on the fire. Two squads, of between eight and 12 firefighters each, were on their way to the scene Thursday night and two more fire crews were being assembled.

In addition, five fire engines were dispatched to the fire that will be managed by a team expected to arrive in Escalante on Friday.

The fire is near an area burned by the Corn Creek Fire, that was contained Saturday after burning more than 2,200 acres.