Crews respond to second brush fire in less than 24 hours

Written by Tracie Sullivan
June 13, 2017
Cedar City, Utah, June 13, 2017 | Photo by Tracie Sullivan, St. George News / Cedar City News

CEDAR CITY – Fire crews responded to a brush fire Tuesday – the second of its kind in less than 24 hours.

Cedar City firefighters were dispatched at 12:10 p.m. to a fire at 2113 W. 850 North. Crews deployed quickly and within 30 minutes had the fire completely suppressed.

The brush fire that took in about .25 acres was near several industrial businesses but never threatened any structures, Cedar City Fire Chief Mike Phillips said.

Several feral kittens less than 8-weeks-old were trapped near the fire but appeared to have no injuries. Cedar City Police rescued the animals and turned them over to animal control to take to the shelter. The kittens will likely remain there until they’re old enough to be adopted, officials said.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Fire crews responded to another brush fire Monday evening at 700 North 800 West that encompassed about 6-acres of grass, old farm buildings and livestock corrals. Investigators later found the fire caused by humans while burning weeds and garbage. One man was cited and released at the scene.

The two fires so close together have authorities concerned and asking the public to exercise caution this fire season and to play an active role in preventing fires from getting started in the first place.

“It was a wet winter and spring and now everything is drying out so people need to be mindful that even a spark can ignite a fire if there’s dry grass around,” Cedar City Fire Marshal Mike Shurtz said. “A lot of people get out and start recreating in the outdoors this time of year and they need to really watch what they’re doing and be mindful of the season they’re in. All it takes is one spark to hit that cheat grass this time of year and the next thing you have a huge fire.”

For more information on fire safety in the summer check out the U.S. Fire Administration website.

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Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @STGnews | @tracie_sullivan

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2017, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tracie is an award-winning investigative reporter. She has been published in several publications including the Salt Lake Tribune, Deseret News, Spectrum and Daily News, Elan Woman, and New West. During her career, Tracie has covered various beats including education, politics, crime, courts, cops, government, lifestyle, arts and entertainment, and environmental issues. She is known for her fairness and integrity as a reporter.

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1 Comment

  • Real Life June 13, 2017 at 6:38 pm

    It’s gotta be drugs. People just can’t be this stupid on their own, can they? Yep, drugs.

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