Fire forces evacuation in Utah County

Utah County residents were being evacuated from their homes late Tuesday after a brush fire flared up in Saratoga Springs, one of three Utah wildfires being pushed by high winds.

Emergency dispatchers said the fire had burned between 50 and 70 acres by 10 p.m. No homes had burned, but the Caspie Way subdivision near Pelican Point was put under a mandatory evacuation as a precaution.

Firefighters were also battling a massive 24,000-acre wildfire in remote Tooele County.

Strong winds fanned the Quincy Fire on Tuesday afternoon as it scorched dry grasses and heavy fuels on the west side of the Cedar Mountains.

"It's wind driven," said Erin Darboven, a spokeswoman for the Bureau of Land Management. "That's the biggest obstacle for our firefighters out there. The wind, combined with the vegetation, is making things difficult."

More than 70 firefighters and three fire engines were on the scene late Tuesday night. An air attack crew was also brought in to help suppress the fire.

The fire was reported about 1 p.m. Tuesday. The cause remains under investigation. Firefighters said they hope to have the Quincy Fire contained by Friday. Lower temperatures and higher humidity with a summer storm predicted for today could help firefighters get the upper hand.

"If this is an indicator of what kind of season we'll have, we'll be very busy," Darboven said.

In Ogden, firefighters worked quickly to squelch a 27-acre blaze above 22nd Street. The winds didn't help firefighters from Ogden, Layton, Salt Lake County, Weber County and the U.S. Forest Service, who were called in to fight the blaze.

"That was a challenge, but we had terrain and heat," U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Rita Vollmer said.

An abandoned campfire was blamed for the Ogden wildfire, which was first spotted early Tuesday morning.

"We're encouraging everyone to make sure their campfires are out and cold to the touch," said Vollmer. "It's very early in the season. The fuels, grasses and small vegetation is very dry. Any little spark can cause problems."

Crews contained the fire after several hours, and Vollmer said they expect it to have it under control by 10 a.m. today.

Elsewhere, winds toppled trees and snapped power lines across the Wasatch Front. The winds overturned a semitrailer near Delle. It was carrying about 8,000 pounds of baby food, the Utah Highway Patrol said. The driver was uninjured.

"The wind was blowing very strong, and it caused him to go off the road and it overturned," said UHP spokesman Brian Hyer.

The Utah Department of Transportation restricted travel for semis and other high-profile vehicles on I-80 from Lake Point to Wendover because of the winds. Gusts were predicted to reach up to 70 miles per hour.

The National Weather Service said rain showers and thunderstorms are likely all over the state today.

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E-mail: bwinslow@desnews.com; rpalmer@desnews.com