Officials shoo people away from M&M fire

OREM — Fire officials are having trouble keeping people away from a wildfire that consumed more than 8,500 acres of land on Lake Mountain near Saratoga Springs.

"It's been a constant battle," said Bureau of Land Management Spokeswoman Teresa Rigby. "I've spent the week chasing people out and putting up barriers, but people continue to try to break through."

After the Mercer Canyon Fire and the Moffida fire merged Friday night, fire officials renamed the blaze to the M&M fire. The Mercer Canyon fire, which began June 24, burned more than 5,200 acres of dry grass before the Moffida fire started up Friday afternoon just a mile away, Rigby said.

More than 200 state and BLM firefighters worked to control the flames Saturday and were able to contain it by evening.

Fire officials had to escort some campers out of the area and chased away several groups of target shooters, Rigby said. Although state Route 68 is not closed, it is dangerous for people to recreate near the blaze, she said.

"It may look like there's nothing going on from one side of the hill, but on the other side we have an operation going on," she said. "People don't realize the danger they are putting themselves in being next to an uncontained wildfire or the danger they are putting firefighters in by shooting so near."

No structures were damaged, but fire officials were concerned about some major power lines that run through the burning area, Rigby said.

"We had Rocky Mountain Power turn the lines off to make sure firefighters are safe," she said. "A lot of times smoke between lines can cause lines to arc and possibly start another fire."

Fire officials were also working Saturday on another fire that started Thursday near the mouth of Provo Canyon. The fire, which crews are calling the PG fire, had burned more than 250 acres by Saturday afternoon.

Crews have lined the perimeter of the fire and report there are no hot spots on the edges, said Greg Blank, initial attack dispatcher for the Northern Utah Interagency Fire Center.

Fire officials hope to release crews from the fire Sunday morning, Blank said.

"It's hot, dry and windy," he said. "We'll see what happens."

---

E-mail: estuart@desnews.com