A fire reported Thursday evening in Middle Canyon has grown to between 150 and 200 acres as of midday Friday.
Fire crews had no containment on the fire as of approximately 12 p.m. Friday, according to state Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands spokesman Leann Fox. The fire began within the canyon and was first reported by a UTV rider coming down Middle Canyon Road around 9 p.m.
When fire crews arrived, the blaze was only about 2 to 3 acres, according to a Facebook post from North Tooele Fire District.
Canyon winds moved the blaze up and over a saddle, with the fire visible southeast of Skyline Drive in Tooele City early Friday morning.
“It started on the Middle Canyon side and worked its way up over the saddle pretty quickly,” said North Tooele Fire District Spokesman Ryan Willden.
Command of the fire was turned over to the state Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands around 11 a.m. Friday, according to a Facebook post from Utah Fire Info.
The fire threatened two residences in the area of Grimm Hill Road and Cassity Drive, and fire engines were assigned to defend the structures, according to Willden.
“The way things sit right now, we’ve got two residences that are evacuated,” Willden said. “The canyon has been evacuated of all the campers up the canyon.”
Evacuees are being directed to Sterling Elementary School, according to Tooele County Emergency Management. Middle Canyon Road is closed from Tooele City to Butterfield Pass.
Willden said there was no imminent threat to the homes early Friday morning but the homes are downhill of the fire. Residents were allowed to return to their homes just after 3 a.m.
The winds affecting the fire have been strong and erratic, Willden said.
“It’s just kind of been a back and forth thing with the winds,” he said. “Traditionally, this canyon gets 30 mph winds every night … and that was true tonight.”
Fire crews from North Tooele Fire District, Tooele Army Depot Fire Department, Tooele City Fire Department, federal Bureau of Land Management, and state Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands have all responded, according to Willden. Air support units, including airplanes and helicopters, dropped retardant on the fire Friday morning after daylight, with additional units requested.
Fox said a hotshot crew has also been dispatched, but there are minimal resources on the Middle Canyon Fire due to fire activity around the state and region. Hotshot crews are elite firefighter handcrews who specialize in wildland fires.
For hand crews battling the fire, there have been challenges dealing with transporting hundreds of feet of heavy hose line and contending with thick vegetation, according to Willden. Tooele County bulldozers and other equipment are working to clear vegetation around roads and create additional fire lines.
“It’s just really thick, heavy fuel, so it’s pretty tough to get in and get access,” Willden said.
The cause of the fire has not been determined but Willden said NTFD responds to calls of unattended campfire three to four times a month in the canyon and there were reports of fireworks in the area.