Firefighters urge care during weekend fun

With 100-plus degree temperatures forecast for this weekend, firefighters are urging people to be careful when they go out to have some fun.

"The hot temperatures always affect firefighting efforts," said Lisa Reid, a spokeswoman for the Bureau of Land Management's field office in Fillmore. "The grasses dry out and fire danger becomes more extreme."

Lightning-sparked wildfires are churning smoke into the skies, but firefighters are reporting progress in containing them.

The largest Utah blaze is the 2,500-acre Sage Valley Fire, burning about 15 miles west of Levan. It was sparked by lightning on Wednesday. Fire crews said the blaze was burning on rolling hills of cheat grass, pinyon, juniper and sagebrush. It is about 75 percent contained.

"With it being heavier timber, they are doing a lot more with suppression," Reid said Friday.

Nearby, the 381-acre South Kanosh Fire is burning about six miles southwest of Kanosh. Firefighters say the terrain there has been tough to fight. The blaze is about 70 percent contained.

The Baboon 2 Fire burning about 10 miles south of Minersville is 50 percent contained. The Color Country Fire Agency reported progress, saying that attempts to "burn the fire out" were successful.

That fire is expected to be fully contained today.

A wildfire in southern Nevada near the Utah state line forced the closure of a state park. The Bally Fire, about 20 miles east of Caliente, covered about 850 acres and was 50 percent contained, authorities said.

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Contributing: Associated Press

E-mail: bwinslow@desnews.com