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TOOELE — Several grass fires east of Tooele closed I-80 to eastbound traffic Wednesday evening.
Eight grass fires spread out over a half-mile along the highway were reported about 7:30 p.m., a configuration that Ryan Willden, spokesman for the North Tooele County Fire District, said is unusual.
Some of the fires merged before they were all extinguished within about an hour, Wilden said. About 4 acres were burned. Crews from the Stockton Fire Department and Unified Fire Authority assisted in dousing the flames and mopping up hot spots.
The fires closed all lanes of eastbound I-80 just before the state Route 201 junction. One lane reopened about 8:40 p.m.
The closure halted traffic at the state Route 36 junction and caused major backup, according to traffic reports from the Utah Department of Transportation.
Willden said that while the fire is unusual, it's not clear whether its origin is suspicious. Investigators had not identified a cause Wednesday.
Vegetation in the area is still mostly green, which Willden said serves as a reminder to Utahns as fire season begins that there is always a risk of fire, even when terrain doesn't seem dry.
