Provo • Utah ranchers are searching for hundreds of unaccounted for cattle as a region continues to deal with a growing wildfire.

The Daily Herald reports lightning sparked a wildfire Aug. 4 in Utah County, leading to 468 missing cattle.

Andy Neves and the rest of the Lake Fork Cattleman's Association say they were able to gather about 350 cattle initially within the first nine days of the blaze. Neves says about 100 cattle are still missing.

Besides the flames, the hay the cattle have been fed while corralled has been in short supply and very costly. Neves says hay production in some places has been cut down by half or more.

With cows corralled sooner than expected, ranchers are now cutting into the hay reserves they had set aside for the winter season.