UPDATED: Fire near Diamond Valley grows to 234 acres, state Route 18 reopens

The Volcano Fire grew to 300 acres by 11 p.m. Sunday, June 28, 2020, near Diamond Valley, Utah | Photo courtesy of Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — A brush fire that started near mile post 12 on state Route 18 closed the highway Sunday evening and burned about 234 acres.

A brush fire burns off of state Route 18 near Diamond Valley, Utah, June 28, 2020 | Photo courtesy of Danyelle Evans, St. George News

Named the Volcano Fire, it had largely been burning through brush and short grass near Diamond Valley just above the north entrance of Snow Canyon State Park.

According to a Twitter post from the Utah Department of Transportation, the fire had caused the closure of at least one lane of the highway; however, as of Monday morning, SR-18 is open.

As of Monday afternoon, the fire was 80% contained. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Firefighters will remain on scene to mop up hot spots throughout the week.

High winds proved difficult for emergency personnel that responded to the fire, with the fire being driven with southwest winds from 15-20 mph, with gusts up to 40 mph.

The National Weather Service extended the high-wind warning for Southwest Utah until midnight, which included the areas of Utah’s Dixie and Zion National Park and the cities of Delta, Fillmore, Cedar City and St. George.

The fire drew a multi-agency response that included approximately 50 firefighters from the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, Bureau of Land Management, US Forest Service, fire departments from Diamond Valley, Dammeron Valley, St. George, Santa Clara-Ivins, Winchester Hills, Gunlock, Veyo, Brookside and Central.

Updated June 29, 3:40 p.m. with additional details on the scope of the fire.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.

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