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Sammy Linebaugh reporting For weeks, crews have fought flames in southern Utah. But now, firefighters have some good news to report on the fires.
Fire crews say the wildfire season isn't over yet. Conditions are still dry and fire-friendly, but crews say two of the biggest fires are nearly 100 percent under control.
The 12-thousand acre Blue Springs fire has been fully contained. Lightning started that fire more than a week ago and forced the evacuation of both Gunlock and New Harmony.
The cost of containing that blaze has totaled more than $3.3- million.
The 11-thousand-acre Diamond Complex, burning north of St. George is expected to be fully contained later today.
Fireworks started at least two new fires in southern Utah last night, including a small fire behind the Tuachan Amphitheater, just outside St. George.
The other fire burned 25 acres along the Arizona border. Crews quickly contained both blazes.
More than a hundred-thousand acres have been burned by the wildfires in Washington County this summer. Amazingly, not a single home or business has been lost in the flames.
And, thousands of turkeys avoided the blaze too. Turkey farmer Mitchell Stackhouse says he couldn't believe how fast flames from the Plateau Fire were coming toward him.
"I saw the fire down there, and at that time it was only about an acre fire. A little tiny fire," he says. "I went into town to do some other things, came back about a half hour later, and it was everywhere."
The flames reached Stackhouse's farm, where nearly 15-thousand turkeys were trapped. The fire burned posts on the end of the pens, but thankfully, helicopters, airplanes and firefighters arrived just in time and kept the turkeys safe.
We just had the 4th of July, so it may seem a little odd to be mentioning Thanksgiving. But come November, Stackhouse promises he won't be the only one grateful these birds survived.
