UPDATED: Snow Canyon Fire grows to 1,000 acres

Written by Chris Reed
November 6, 2020

WINCHESTER HILLS — A brush fire that started Friday night on the outskirts of Diamond Valley has grown to 1,000 acres by Saturday morning.

The glow of flames from the Snow Canyon Fire looms in the distance behind Diamond Valley Elementary School in Diamond Valley, Utah, on Nov. 6, 2020. | Photo by Chris Reed, St. George News

Authorities have tentatively determined the cause to be people shooting targets. The fire started at Lava Ridge above Winchester Hills.

Residents south of Diamond Valley Drive were alerted to prepare for possible evacuation from the fire, named the Snow Canyon Fire.

For a time, state Route 18 was closed in both directions, but by 8:30 p.m. both sites were reopened. However, the Utah Department of Transportation warns traffic on the highway may still be affected by the fire overnight.

The flames appeared to be driven by the wind away from the Winchester Hills and The Ledges neighborhoods just to the south and moving north toward Diamond Valley.

Flames shoot up from the Snow Canyon Fire above Winchester Hills, Utah, on Nov. 6, 2020. | Photo by Chris Reed, St. George News

In Diamond Valley, the streets were dark and quiet, save for the rush of wind. Behind homes on Sapphire Drive, smoke and an orange glow could be seen about a half-mile away as a smattering of fire vehicles were stationed nearby.

The fire was first reported around 6 p.m. The fire was burning short grass while the flames cast an orange glow on the rocks of the Red Cliffs Conservation Area.

Eleven fire agencies responded to the fire, including those from Diamond Valley, Dammeron Valley, Winchester, Santa Clara-Ivins, Veyo, Hurricane, Washington City, Bureau of Land Management and state park rangers.

For a time just before 10 p.m., flames could be seen in the distance from the Diamond Valley Elementary School. However, by 10:30 p.m., firefighters looked to be winning the battle as the glow on the horizon began to dim.

Those firefighting efforts continued through the night.

Updated Nov. 7, 2020, 8 a.m.: Information on size, cause.

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

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Chris Reed serves as a reporter for St. George News, where he has been honored with several awards from the Society of Professional Journalists for his work, including first-place accolades. He started his journalism career as a sports reporter and editor in Southern California where he once compared shoe sizes with Shaquille O'Neal and exchanged mix tapes with members of the Los Angeles Kings. After growing up in the San Fernando Valley learning karate skills from Mr. Miyagi and spending a decade in Las Vegas mostly avoiding the casinos, he came to St. George for love and married his soulmate, a lifetime Southern Utah resident. He is the proud father of two boys, his youngest a champion against both autism and Type 1 diabetes.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGNews

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