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EUREKA, Juab County — A human-caused wildfire that sparked Friday burned 444 acres and is 20% contained, fire officials said Sunday.
The fire was originally thought to have burned 700 acres but more accurate mapping revealed 444 acres had been burned. Fire officials said on Sunday that crews were still working to prevent fire speed.
The Goat Springs Fire began Friday afternoon on the Simpson Mountain Range west of Eureka in Juab County, according to state and federal fire agencies. In an update late Saturday morning, officials said it was 0% contained after doubling in size from its previous update at 3 p.m. Friday.
The fire was first reported by fire officials shortly after 1 p.m. Friday. By then, it had destroyed two cabins and spread to about 40 acres before crews could arrive. Officials then said it had burned between 300 and 400 acres by 3 p.m. They said the steep and rugged terrain, paired with the gust winds in the area, helped the fire spread quickly.
The fire was ruled to be human-caused, but the exact cause is under investigation according to officials. They added that the U.S. Fire Administration Type 3 Incident Management Team is set to take over as the primary crew over the fire Saturday.
The wildfire began two days after Utah leaders and fire experts launched a new campaign aimed to slow down the growing number of human-caused wildfires in the state. State officials said more than 95% of all Utah's 227 wildfires through May 17 were caused by humans.
Contributing: Ashley Fredde, KSL.com; Andrew Adams, KSL TV
