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Fire crews continued to fight the Mill Flat fire near New Harmony on Wednesday. Firefighters had an easier day battling the fire because of lower temperatures and higher humidity. Scott Swensen, left, and crew member Scott Peterson of Utah Fire Rescue Academy in Draper chop out a hot spot underneath a burning log.
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New Harmony » Crews made gains on two fires in central and southern Utah on Wednesday, including the Mill Flat fire that destroyed three homes and damaged eight buildings over the weekend.

The Mill Flat fire had grown to 12,564 acres by 6 p.m. Wednesday and was 33 percent contained, up from 10 percent on Tuesday.

More than 750 firefighters created fire breaks on the east and northeast boundaries of the blaze on Tuesday. Wednesday, more fire breaks were put in on the northwest and southeast flanks, said fire spokeswoman Kathy Jo Pollock. At least two helicopters continued to drop water on hot spots.

"We've had the crews and resources we've needed," Pollock said.

Though there appeared to be less smoke from the fire Wednesday, and the air quality improved slightly, smoke columns became visible again during the evening as winds increased. The fire is still creeping and smoking in some of the brush and burnt out areas, Pollock said.

She said temperatures in the 80s, and higher relative humidity, decreased the level of fire activity Wednesday morning.

Lightning started the Mill Flat blaze on July 25 in the Pine Valley Mountains south of Cedar City. The U.S. Forest Service then monitored the fire and allowed it to clear out brush and old growth in the wilderness area.

But high winds on Saturday sent the blaze racing down the mountains into new Harmony. The fire grew from 1,200 acres to about 10,000 in a matter of hours and forced the evacuation of 170 residents.

All were allowed to return Sunday.

In central Utah on Wednesday, fire crews contained 50 percent of the Sawmill Canyon fire burning about five miles south of Scipio. High winds Tuesday pushed flames across U.S. Highway 50, which the Utah Highway Patrol was forced to close for several hours. Crews secured the eastern side of the fire and began working on the southern end Wednesday, said Bureau of Land Management fire spokeswoman Lisa Reid.

The Sawmill Canyon fire is still burning heavily north of Raspberry Canyon. Fire crews are using bulldozers to contain the fire in low lying areas. But it continues to burn in the higher elevations where the terrain is steep and rugged.

Reid said rain fell for a short time Wednesday but did not do much to help control the Sawmill Canyon fire.

The National Weather Service in Salt Lake City is forecasting a 20 percent chance of rain near Scipio on Friday. Isolated showers and thunderstorms are expected to move over the Mill Flat fire today, with a 20 percent chance of rain through Friday.

Forest service roads near New Harmony were expected to remain

closed today, Pollock said. But Washington County roads and offramps that were closed in the area were expected to reopen.