Firefighters expect to contain Apex blaze by July 7

ST. GEORGE — Firefighters are making good progress on stamping out a wildfire that, so far, has consumed 31,000 acres in the hills about 10 miles west of St. George, a fire official said Wednesday evening.

"The estimated date for containment of the Apex fire is July 7," said David Boyd, a fire information officer with the Bureau of Land Management in St. George. "It's 35 percent contained right now."

That's good news for residents of several small communities who have been braced to follow evacuation plans if the fire approached too close to their homes.

"Right now, there's no fire burning near those communities," said Boyd in reference to the towns of Gunlock, Motoqua, and the Shivwitts Indian Reservation.

Still of concern to the firefighting team, however, is the security of numerous communication towers on West Mountain and Utah Hill.

"The fire is north of the towers by at least a mile. We'll keep dropping retardant there and watching it. That's a priority area," he said.

Eleven fire crews are fighting the fire with the help of five helicopters, 20 engines, nine water tenders and 466 personnel, said Boyd.

Winds are predicted to blow from the southwest on Thursday, but with far less intensity, he added.

The fire is expected to push northwest toward Pohcoon Flats, a grassy area with much less brittle fuel for the blaze to consume.

"They may try to do a burn-out there at a fire break tomorrow," said Boyd, explaining that the firefighters actually start a fire in front of a firebreak if the winds will take it toward the oncoming fire. "You have to be very careful with that, of course."

The new fire would advance toward the larger wildfire, which would suck the smaller fire into it and find nothing new to burn.

"We'll have to see what the conditions are like tomorrow, but if they can get the northwest perimeter secured, they would be doing really good," Boyd said.

Two 16-year-old boys have admitted to setting the blaze after playing with matches on some private land near the OMB Apex Mine, said Washington County Sheriff Kirk Smith.

The boys told their parents about starting the fire and were taken to the St. George police station, Smith said. The sheriff has recommended no criminal charges be filed against the two boys, although that decision will be left up to the Washington County Attorney's Office.