This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Even as authorities gained control of two fires, a new wildfire, this one sparked by lightning, was burning out of control Sunday in southern Utah.
The newest blaze — named the OMG fire — ignited on Shivwits Indian Reservation land and federal lands, west of St. George. The fire started Friday near the old OMG Plant, a gold mining mill near Old Highway 91, fire officials said. As of Sunday evening, it had burned about 1,900 acres and was about 20 percent contained.
There were no injuries or evacuations, and firefighters reported they had stopped the fire's forward progression. However, officials warned that Old Highway 91 might be closed briefly as necessary.
The Baboon Fire was thought to be contained earlier last week, but investigators believe a tree inside previous containment lines caught fire and re-ignited extremely dry vegetation nearby.
The fire was 90 percent contained Sunday. Including the new flare-up, the Baboon Fire is estimated to have blackened 20,732 acres since it started July 13. The fire, which is about six miles south of Minersville in Beaver County, was caused by lightning.
Meanwhile, the human-caused Lighthouse Fire in Emery County was 100 percent contained after burning about 862 acres. The fire had threatened several archaeological sites in Range Creek, including rock art, granaries, pit and cliff dwellings and burial sites.
In Morgan County, firefighters contained the 12-acre Mormon Flat blaze — south of East Canyon Reservoir — about noon Sunday.
Morgan County Fire Chief Dave Rich said that fire was started about 6 p.m. Saturday by at least three target shooters, all of whom were cited.