LA SAL, San Juan County — Evacuation orders related to the Deer Creek Fire in San Juan County were extended Saturday as the wildfire continues to grow.
The fire has burned about 8,500 acres and remains 0% contained, according to an evening update from Utah Fire Info.
The fire started Thursday on private property in the La Sal area — a small community located between Moab and Monticello — quickly growing in size amid hot, dry and windy conditions. As of Saturday, it had destroyed five structures, damaged 10 others and threatened 80 more.
Evacuation orders related to the fire have been extended by the San Juan County Sheriff's office to encompass an area from La Sal in the south to Manns Peak in the north, and from Upper 2 Mile Road east to the Utah-Colorado border. It also includes anyone within 5 miles of the fire.
State Route 46 was closed temporarily on Saturday afternoon, due to the fire, but has since reopened, fire officials said. Still, they continue to advise drivers to "use alternate routes and avoid the area."
Fire behavior has been erratic over the past couple of days, officials said, with shifting winds pushing flames into forested areas to the east. "Hot, dry and windy conditions are expected again tomorrow (Sunday)," the update says.
The cause of the fire remained undetermined on Saturday.
