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SALT LAKE CITY — About 40 firefighters responded to the scene of a substantial west Salt Lake grass fire Thursday afternoon only to learn it was a controlled burn that the fire department hadn't been notified about.
The fire was in an expansive grass field at 700 N. John Glenn Road (6070 West). It was "large" and "still spreading" as of about 3:40 p.m. when some firefighters were still arriving, according to Salt Lake fire spokesman Jasen Asay.
The fire was first reported a few minutes after 3 p.m., and the first crews on scene were alarmed and called for backup after noticing a large amount of black smoke, Asay said. Firefighters made contact with the farmer who owns the property, he said, who told them about the controlled burn.
"It’s concerning, just because we didn’t know what was going on," Asay said. "We’re devoting a lot of resources to be out here to protect the area, and so it’s nice when we are made aware."
Asay said fire crews were working to verify that the farmer had obtained a controlled burn permit. Firefighters remained on scene "actively monitoring the fire," noting the dry and windy conditions, he added.
"We don’t want it to jump the dirt road (to the east)," Asay said. "If it does jump the dirt road, it can start affecting where cattle are grazing."
Vegetation was burning but no structures were threatened late Thursday afternoon.
