Fire near Panguitch Lake 25% contained

PANGUITCH — Fire crews are continuing efforts to suppress the Horse Valley Fire near Panguitch Lake.

The wildfire has burned 2,600 acres throughout Dixie National Park, from three miles north of the lake to Iron County. Almost 300 firefighters from multiple Utah and Nevada agencies had the blaze about 25 percent contained as of Monday morning. But originally, the fire wasn't supposed to be suppressed at all.

"We drew a line around where we wanted it to burn, and now that it's outside that line, we're suppressing it," said Dixie National Forest spokeswoman Andi Falsetto.

It began when lightning struck in Horse Valley's south end July 2. The wildfire was allowed to burn through conifers, pine and aspen trees as a natural way to thin vegetation and give the aspens a chance to grow. But Thursday's winds blew it into proportions larger than park officials could permit.

By Saturday, it had burned 1,700 acres and destroyed an outbuilding. The weekend's winds and thunderstorms worsened the situation. The fire scorched another 900 acres. Anyone from Piute County to Long Valley could see black columns of smoke billowing out of the forest, said Dixie National Forest spokesman Kenton Call.

"A lot of the growth was because of spot fires," Falsetto said. "We've had a lot of wind, and that picks up embers and starts smaller fires elsewhere."

The weather is supposed to remain hot, dry and windy for the next few days, which is bad news for the firefighters struggling to contain the blaze. But Falsetto is confident they'll have more of it contained by Monday night, and their progress will continue from there.

The National Park Service has even brought in four Hot Shot crews, the elite firefighters in the blaze-suppression world. They drop into any fire, anywhere, and fight it until it's nothing but ashes, she said.

The fire isn't threatening any other outbuildings or summer homes.

The Park Service has closed the area between Pole Hollow Road and Caddy Creek Road to keep the public out of harm's way. Horse Valley Road and the area west of it will remain open, but the area east of it is closed, as well.

For more information and updates on the fire's progress, visit utahfireinfo.gov.

e-mail: mmcfall@desnews.com