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SALT LAKE CITY — As crews continue to gain control on a pair of large fires in Utah County, two fires burning near Kamas began to pick up intensity Wednesday, officials said Thursday.
The Murdock and Slate fires, which have burned more than 2,300 acres near Mirror Lake are combined 19 percent contained, according to Great Basin Regional Incident Management Team officials.
Officials said the Murdock Fire grew 634 acres on Wednesday and has now burned 1,662 acres since it was sparked by lightning on Aug. 28. It’s 21 percent contained.
The update provided Thursday is a stark contrast from the 650-acre size and 50 percent containment U.S. Forest Service officials documented on Sunday.
The fire reached Marsell Canyon about 22 miles east of Kamas on Wednesday, officials wrote in an update.
More than 200 personnel were assigned to fighting the two fires Thursday. That included five helicopters and five engines.
Crews also reminded people to not drone in an area during active firefighting efforts. A drone was spotted flying illegally along Highway 150 Tuesday, which could have led to crews to halt air efforts temporarily.
The Highline Trail, Naturalist Basin, Four Lakes Basin, East Fork Duchesne River Trail in the Murdock Basin, Broadhead Meadows, Lost Creek Campground, Fehr Lake Trail, Mirror Lake campground, North Fork Duchesne River trail and Mirror Lake trails were closed Wednesday because of the two fires.
A map of the closures can be found here.
Wednesday's fire coverage
Fire updates: Utah County fires see minimal growth
The Pole Creek and Bald Mountain fires in Utah County saw little growth overnight, though a smaller fire broke out nearby on Tuesday, officials said.This blog will be updated throughout the day about Utah's wildfires.
Editor's note: The original headline was adjusted to correct that the fire is burning east of Kamas. An earlier version indicated the drone was flying over the fire. This article has been corrected to reflect the drone was flying over Highway 150. Lastly, an earlier version of the article indicated that air efforts were halted. We have corrected the article to reflect that the air efforts could have been halted, but were not.
Officials report increase in containment for both Pole Creek and Bald Mountain fires
NWS warns of dry, windy conditions in weekend forecast
