Fires growing in Washington County

A growing fire has led to park closures and an evacuation at Zion National Park, and firefighters are having trouble getting to the blaze and keeping people from watching the it burn.

The Cliff fire is one of four large fires and about 24 small fires that were started by lightning Tuesday night. The majority of the fires involve single trees and very small areas, said Scott Sticha, fire-information officer for Color Country Fire. But the fires have been growing rapidly. Sticha said two of the fires that had covered 100 acres Wednesday started out as small, 5-acre fires.

"They're growing pretty rapidly," he said. "It's that time of year. There's not a lot of moisture … Temperatures climb up, (and) there are longer days. These fires could pick up."

The remote locations of the fires are making them difficult to combat, said David Eaker of the National Parks Service, so crews are trying to tackle them by air.

"They're trying to suppress them as best they can, but they're in rugged, inaccessible areas," Eaker said. "They're having to walk people in, which is long haul, or fly them in, and that's slowing down operations."

Officials said smoke from the blaze is distracting motorists. Those traveling through the area are being asked to not stop on the roadway to watch the blaze or the suppression efforts.

The dry and hot conditions fueled the growth of the Cliff fire to 750 acres in less than 48 hours. Eaker said the rate of growth is "nothing out of the ordinary" and that sometimes fires will grow "thousands of acres in a day." Roughly 350 acres are burning in Zion National Park itself.

The fire's growth led to the closure of Kolob Canyons Scenic Drive and all trails surrounding it. Rangers also evacuated hikers from the LaVerkin Creek Trail for precautionary reasons. The rest of the park is open and fully operational, Eaker said.

About 100 firefighters and five helicopters are working to control the Cliff fire, and no structures are currently threatened.

All of the fires, including the 250-acre Twin Peaks & Bench fire in Dixie National Forest, are being fully suppressed, Sticha said. The fires all are burning in remote locations and are not threatening people or structures. Crews are working to keep the fires from spreading, he said.

"It's full suppression, based on these conditions," Sticha said. "They're pretty explosive."

Due to the fire season being relatively slow this year, Sticha said there are more firefighters available.

"Resources are not much of an issue this year," he said. "We've been able to get people quick. Other years, we have to get in line behind the high-priority fires."

Meanwhile, the Lake Fork Fire near Price has grown by 200 acres to a total of 604 acres. It is still being managed for the benefit of the local ecosystem and is not being suppressed.

The fire, which was started by lightning July 2, poses no real threat to people or structures. However, in an effort to prevent potential harm, the Ives Canyon Road and the Ives Canyon Trail remain closed.

e-mail: emorgan@desnews.com