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Sunday afternoon saw 11 active wildfires burning across Utah, with the largest continuing to be the Flatt Fire in Iron County.
That blaze had burned 14,443 acres and was 15% contained as of Sunday morning, although that containment figure was an improvement over Saturday, when the fire was 0% contained.
The Flatt Fire was ignited by lightning on Friday. According to a post on UtahFireInfo.gov, fire crews expect the blaze to continue moving west Sunday as winds pick up in the afternoon. Firefighters working on suppression efforts will be aided by water drops from helicopters.
The Morgan Canyon Fire is currently mapped at 37 acres with 0% containment. Early Sunday morning, @UtahWildFire tweeted that fire investigators confirmed that the cause of the wildfire was an aircraft that went down in the Deseret Peak Wilderness on Thursday.
A spokesperson for the National Transportation Safety Board told The Salt Lake Tribune on Sunday afternoon that both passengers inside the Piper PA-28-140 were killed in the crash. An onsite examination of the aircraft was completed Sunday, and it’s expected to be removed later this week.
A phone call to the Tooele City Police Department seeking the identities of the victims was not immediately returned.
The Bennion Creek Fire in Utah County remained at 8,313 acres with 63% containment, up from 45% on Saturday. Winds and extremely dry conditions in the area have not helped as that blaze burns in steep terrain in timber, mountain mahogany, pinyon pine and juniper.
The Sego Fire began Sunday afternoon on the southern end of the Book Cliffs and the north end of Thompson Springs in Grand County. The fire is currently covering 50 acres, but details beyond that are scarce. Per a @UtahWildFire tweet, lightning caused the fire, which is burning in “inaccessible terrain.” Air resources are on the scene.