WASHINGTON COUNTY – A brush fire broke out near milepost 27 on northbound Interstate 15, near Toquerville Monday morning.
Washington County Fire Warden Adam Heyder said the fire was reported shortly after 11 a.m. The cause of the fire is believed sparks created by a tire blow out on a boat trailer on I-15 that flew into the brush along side the road.
Fire units from the Leeds Area Fire Department and Hurricane Valley Fire Special Service District responded to the fire, Heyder said.
The right lane on northbound I-15 near milepost 27 was shut down and smoke from the fire impacted visibility on the roadway for a time. Utah Highway Patrol units and a local Utah Department of Transportation crew were on hand to handle passing traffic.
The fire grew to one acre, but was quickly contained by fire crews around 12:20 p.m. Heyder said this didn’t mean the fire was extinguished, however. When a fire is contained it means it is no longer spreading and is on its way to being extinguished, barring potential flare ups and high winds.
“We don’t say a fire is out until it is out,” Heyday said.
The right lane on northbound I-15 was reopened by 12:40 p.m.
Heyder said much of the state is currently under a red flag warning for fire weather, and that many restrictions on unincorporated areas of Washington County have been initiated.
No structures were threatened by the fire and no injuries were reported.
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @MoriKessler
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2013, all rights reserved.
It doesn’t take very long for a fire to burn 1 acre…they must have been moving quickly. Our fire department rocks!