A weakening brush fire that forced evacuations in Summit County was human-caused, according to state fire officials.
The blaze near the town of Wanship in the Blue Sky ranching area was reported at 12:08 p.m. and eventually grew to 65 acres. The fire, named the Old Lincoln 4 Fire, was about 90 percent contained as of Wednesday night, according Mike Eriksson with the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands.
Eriksson said the Summit County Sheriff’s Office is still investigating the cause of the fire. Eriksson said it was not yet known what was used to start the blaze or whether it was intentional.
North Summit Fire District crews, assisted by South Summit District personnel and a bulldozer to cut fire lines, had the fire about 13 percent contained by 3:30 p.m. Eriksson said at that time the fire was not expected to grow any more Wednesday. By 4 p.m., when the fire was 90 percent contained, the evacuations were lifted. Firefighters planned to stay on site to make sure some potentially high winds overnight do not cause the fire to flare back up or spread.
No injuries were reported and no structures were immediately lost, but a reverse 911 calling protocol was used to alert rural homeowners of the danger and Summit County Search and Rescue and sheriff’s deputies also notified residents.
The number in the fire’s name indicates that it’s the fourth such fire in the area this year, Erikson said.
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