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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- A fire in the Henry Mountains of southeastern Utah grew to more than 33,000 acres Thursday.
The Bulldog fire -- which began July 8 and is named for various geographic landmarks in the area -- remains at 30 percent contained in the mountain range 17 miles north of Ticaboo.
Protecting cabins and homes in the area remains a focus for firefighters, said Lisa Reid, Bureau of Land Management fire information officer. "But we're not as critical as we were," she said.
The most significant development was road closures in the area, Reid said.
"Right now in essence the Henry Mountains are closed to public access," she said.
With the fire at only 30 percent contained and the potential for flare-ups, the closures were a matter of public safety and in the best interest of crews focusing on fighting the fire, she said.
Officials say the blaze, which has burned 33,080 acres, was started by an all-terrain vehicle that backed into dry grass while turning around, possibly igniting the fire.
Elsewhere, the 1,935-acre Farmington Canyon fire just north of Salt Lake City was 95 percent contained.
"It's going to be smoking probably for the next couple of weeks and we know that there going to have hot spots I'd say for at least a month, especially if this warm weather sticks around," said Kathy Jo Pollock, spokeswoman for the Wasatch-Cache National Forest.
The Woodenshoe fire in the Dark Canyon Wilderness Area, 25 miles west of Blanding has burned 2,710 acres. The fire has been listed at 95 percent contained for the last several days.
(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
