PRICE — The U.S. Forest Service will allow a wildfire started by lightning on July 2 to burn and play its natural role on the landscape.

The fire is being monitored by the service, and it will begin suppression efforts if lives or property are threatened. According to a release from the service, the fire is located approximately eight miles north of Idianola and two miles southeast of Birdseye in the Manti-La Sal National Forest. Smoke and flames may be visible from the Sanpete Valley and stretches of Highway 89 as the fire continues to burn in coming weeks.

The burning forest is populated with pinyon and juniper trees, and the Forest Service is not fighting it so natural benefits from wildfires can be delivered to the ecosystem. A press release from the service states that fires restore and maintain healthy forests and reduce the risk of large-scale fires developing.

— Clayton Norlen