2 fires in southeastern Utah gain acreage, expected to keep growing in hot weather

BLANDING, San Juan County — Two fires in San Juan County have grown in recent days, and hot weather this week is expected to increase fire activity, officials say.

The Peavine Canyon Fire, currently Utah’s second-largest, had burned 1,250 acres as of Monday, according to a news release from the U.S. Forest Service. It is located about 22 miles west of Blanding in southeastern Utah and was discovered on July 16.

The Poison Canyon Fire, which is burning nearby about 23 miles west of Monticello, had burned 185 acres as of Monday, forest service officials said. Officials discovered that fire on July 26, and it is thought to be lightning-caused.

Both fires are consuming fuels on the forest floor, which will reduce the chance of a more catastrophic blaze in the near future and will benefit the areas for the next 10-15 years, the release states.

Dry, hot conditions are expected to stoke both fires this week, officials said. Temperatures are expected to hit triple digits in some areas of southeastern Utah early in the week, before cooling down slightly midweek, according to the KSL Weather Forecast.

There are several road and trail closures in the area due to the fires, including:

• Forest Road 50089 (Peavine Corridor), closed at the trailhead junction with Forest Road 500888 (South Elk Ridge),
• Forest Road 50108 (Dry Mesa Road), closed at the junction with Forest Road 50340,
• Spur roads north of Forest Road 50108 (Dry Mesa Road) in the closed area,
• Forest Trail 023 (Brushy Knoll), and
• Forest Trail 157 (Peavine Canyon)

There are 109 people currently assigned to the Peavine Canyon Fire, and another 22 are assigned to Poison Canyon, according to the release.

For more information, visit fs.usda.gov/mantilasal or utahfireinfo.gov.

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