GOSHEN, Utah County — A few homes have been evacuated as crews respond to a human-caused wildfire burning in southwest Utah County Tuesday afternoon.
The Goshen Fire began burning just south of the city just before 4:30 p.m. Windy conditions have been a factor in propelling its growth, and it is estimated to be between 150 to 200 acres, according to Karl Hunt, public information officer with Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands.
"Any fire over 100 acres is a large fire, and you know, we've got crews on all sides, working on ways to engage the fire. But with the wind, they're ... prioritizing firefighter safety, and so they'll engage the fires (when) they find opportunities," he told KSL.
Crews from Santaquin, Utah County, Goshen, Genola, Rocky Ridge and Eureka, among other agencies, are fighting the blaze.
Hunt said so far, three homes near the mouth of the canyon have been evacuated. Officials hope to have those residents back in their homes Tuesday night.
Video sent to KSL showed a large cloud of smoke emerging from Goshen Canyon on Tuesday afternoon.
The fire is actively burning on state lands, but its activity is expected to decrease after sunset, Utah Fire Info said.
Hunt said the fire is deemed human-caused, but he did not elaborate further.
"You know, a lot of Utah's experiencing extreme drought conditions, and so that's just something that when people are outside recreating — to take precautions, to not create a spark that could cause a wildfire, because this is just an indication that a small spark can grow into something a lot larger," he said.
The fire remains under investigation.
This story may be updated.
