St. George • A fire burning along the Utah-Arizona border grew over the weekend, burning more than 11,000 acres of grass, brush and woodland habitat, officials said.
The Bureau of Land Management offices in Utah and Arizona reported that one house and four outbuildings were threatened by the fire, burning about 20 miles east of Kanab, The Spectrum reported.
The fire burned more than 8,000 acres near the stateline campground as of Friday and grew to about 11,400 acres by Monday, department officials said. Access to popular hiking trails along House Rock Valley Road, including the Wave, were temporarily blocked off.
At least eight fire crews, six helicopters and 20 engines were working to suppress the flames, which were spreading toward Kanab.
The fire location threatened habitat important to the endangered California Condor, department officials said, adding that direct fire can lead to condor nest abandonment or chick deaths. The condor can help prevent the spread of diseases by quickly disposing of wild animal carcasses that could become hosts for bacteria and viruses.
The department is encouraging travelers to avoid the area as firefighters work to douse the flames.