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CENTERVILLE — Overnight efforts of firefighters and cooler temperatures helped contain a wildfire in Centerville Friday.
South Davis Fire Chief Jim Rampton said the fire may have been human-caused.
"You rule out the weather, so what else is there?" he said Friday. "It's now in the process of elimination, looking at the crime scene — if there is a crime scene."
Thus far, he said the Davis County Sheriff's Office detained and questioned one individual in connection with the blaze, but that person was later released. That office, and the U.S. Forest Service, will handle the fire investigation.
The Parrish Fire started around 7:45 p.m. Thursday in the foothills east of 700 East and Parrish Lane and swelled to 37 acres. By noon Friday, officials reached 100 percent containment, according to Kathy Jo Pollock of the Wasatch-Cache National Forest.
"Fire activity has diminished due the hard work of our firefighters, cooler temperatures, and precipitation," she said.
She said more precipitation was expected for Friday afternoon. Fire officials would remain Saturday to patrol and monitor the fire, but the road near the firebreak will remain closed to public traffic until further notice.
Pollock reported that fire investigators are continuing to follow up on leads as to the cause of the fire.
Approximately 70 members of 17 different agencies had worked to contain the blaze, Pollock said. Aided by lower temperatures, higher levels of humidity and a 5,200 foot line of hose that was able to span the perimeter of the fire, firefighters were able to quell the bulk of the flames overnight.
Two 20-person hand crews were back at the fire as of 7 a.m. Friday, working to extinguish some hot spots on the north side of the blaze.
"We've still got some smoke and there's some heavy, thick oak brush and we have to penetrate that oak brush to get to what's smoldering underneath," Pollock said early Friday.
Pollock said four homes were voluntarily evacuated Thursday night but the occupants had returned Friday.
Anyone with photos of the fire within the first 15 minutes it was burning has been asked to call the Davis County Sheriff's Office at 801-451-4150.
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Written by Emiley Morgan with contributions from Shara Park.
