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Winds kick up fires around Utah; again illegal fireworks are a culprit

Authorities on Tuesday were looking for a group of teens believed to have ignited the rapidly expanding Turkey Farm Road Fire, one of several burning around the Utah, while illegally shooting fireworks Monday night in Washington County.

“It is putting a lot of first responders at risk which is unfortunate and unnecessary,” said Kait Webb of the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands.

Pushed by strong winds this fire, west of Washington City, blew up from 3,000 to 11,700 acres Tuesday evening, according to Utah Fire Info. No evacuation orders were in place, but the fire has been a challenge to fight due to the weather conditions and officials upgraded the response to a Type II team.

Utah’s most threatening fire remains Veyo West, which destroyed a home in the Washington County hamlet of Veyo, but was burning away from the community toward the north and west on Tuesday, according to fire information officer Kevin Abel. Firefighters stopped the 2,300-acre fire’s eastern progress at State Road 18.

This fire’s cause remains under investigation. Lightning has been ruled out.

Also on fire Tuesday was a patch of Wasatch foothills, burning close to homes in North Ogden near the Coldwater Trailhead

As of 9:30 p.m., the Mountain Home Fire had burned 78 acres with 50% containment, according to the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. Helicopters dropped water on the blaze during the day and several engine crews were expected to continue working to contain the flames through the night.