Cooler, wet weather helps crews fighting Utah wildfire


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DUCHESNE, Utah (AP) — Wet weekend weather has helped crews fighting a Utah wildfire that torched dozens of buildings and forced more than 1,000 people from their homes.

Authorities said Monday the fire in a mountain area near a popular fishing reservoir grew to about 78 square miles (201 square kilometers), but crews increased containment to about 35 percent.

Scattered showers and relatively cooler temperatures are expected to continue at least through Tuesday, and some evacuees have been allowed to return to their homes.

Investigators believe the fire was sparked by someone on July 1, but details about how it started haven't been released.

The blaze burned through timber, tall grass and brush near Duchesne, about 80 miles (130 kilometers) southeast of Salt Lake City. It forced a two-day closure of a stretch of U.S. Highway 40.

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