Fire laps at homes near U.

A grass fire came dangerously close to about a half-dozen homes Sunday night near the University of Utah.

Several acres burned on the hillside above 1550 East Tomahawk Drive (500 North) beginning about 9:45 p.m.

"It came within a few feet of five homes. About a dozen homes were threatened," said Salt Lake City Fire spokesman Scott Freitag.

Crews battled high winds and quick moving flames from the two-alarm fire for about 90 minutes. No structures were damaged, and no one was injured.

"(The fire) was spreading in all kinds of different directions. The wind just swirls in the canyon," Freitag said. "We just surrounded it and fought it. It was a very aggressive firefight, to keep it to just a few acres on a very steep hill in the middle of the night. . .They did a great job."

Investigators were looking Monday for five to six people seen driving out of the canyon right before the fire started. Freitag said investigators believe the group was using an old kiln for a campfire, and some ashes or sparks may have blown out of the chimney and ignited dry grass.