A wildfire that rapidly tore through part of central Utah led to evacuation orders for hundreds of people on Saturday.
The blaze, which officials are calling the Iron fire, has burned more than 13,000 acres since it began on Friday night, the authorities said. The fire started on private land and has now stretched across federal lands, said Kelly Wickens, a spokeswoman for Utah’s Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands.
Hundreds of residents in the small city of Eureka, which is about 70 miles south of Salt Lake City, were under evacuation orders Saturday night as the fire spread through parts of three counties. A ranch on the southeast corner of the fire was also evacuated.
Ms. Wickens said the fire was “human-caused” and that it was under investigation.
Winds that have varied in direction and speed, dry desert vegetation and drought conditions have fueled the rapidly growing fire in the mountainous region, Ms. Wickens said. Containment efforts have been made more difficult by the steep terrain, she added.
The state is fighting to contain a handful of other fires, but the Iron fire is the “most significant,” said Karl Hunt, a public affairs officer for Utah’s Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands.
The National Weather Service issued a “red flag” warning for large parts of the state on Saturday, noting that dry thunderstorms and gusty winds could make it easy for fire to spread.
Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican, noted the several wildfires burning through Utah on Saturday.
“Conditions remain dry and dangerous,” he wrote on social media. “Please use extreme caution, follow evacuation notices, and do your part to prevent new fires.”
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