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SALT LAKE CITY — Officials said Wednesday that crews had discovered two more fires believed to have been caused by a thunderstorm Sunday night.
The Shelter Pass Fire was located Tuesday afternoon on the north end of the Hogup Mountains west of the Great Salt Lake, county officials said in a statement. It's believed to be over 6,400 acres in size and 0% contained as of Wednesday evening. Crews elected to take a "defensive stance" and will fight the blaze "if and when it burns out of the steep terrain," officials said.
The other fire was located south of I-84 near Snowville in northern Box Elder County. The Prospect Springs Fire has scorched 500 acres and was 10% contained. Crews dropped retardant on the flames Tuesday and will "aggressively fight the fire and keep it from progressing any further," officials said.
Related:
Wildfire updates: Crews contain several of 30 new lightning-caused fires as Peavine Fire nears 4K acres
Wildfires continued to burn across the Beehive State Tuesday, including the Peavine Fire which was close to 4,000, according to officials.Sunday's storm sparked more than 30 fires in Box Elder County. Most were quickly contained, but some were still burning Wednesday.
The Russell and Curlew fires are the largest of those. Combined, the two fires have blackened more than 10,000 acres, or more than 15 square miles, and both were 70% contained as of Wednesday evening. The Rock Springs and Playground fires have burned 13 acres and are nearing full containment, and the Meadow Creek Fire burned 20 acres and was 65% contained.
The Bovine and Hogup West fires, which have combined to burn about 640 acres in the county, both were listed as 75% contained, but officials didn't expect to reach full containment on Wednesday.
The Paint Mine Fire in Juab and Utah County has burned nearly 2,700 acres and was 50% contained. The River Breaks Fire, also in Juab County, has blackened 341 acres and was fully contained.
Two fires in Millard County, the West Dog Fire and the Twin Peaks Fire, have burned over 150 acres combined and are completely contained.
Contributing: Liesl Nielsen, KSL.com
