Crews respond to backyard brush fire in Cedar City started by someone burning weeds

Written by Jeff Richards
June 10, 2020

CEDAR CITY — Firefighters from multiple agencies responded to a brush fire in the backyard of a home west of Cedar City Wednesday afternoon, limiting the damage to about half an acre.

The blaze, which was reported shortly after 2:30 p.m. at 1925 S. 8100 West, was reportedly started by a person burning weeds near the home on the property. It ended up spreading to the roadside to the northwest, partially burning a fence and damaging other items in the yard. However, firefighters were able to prevent the flames from spreading to the adjacent log home or any other nearby structures. No injuries were reported.

Cedar City Fire Chief Mike Phillips said around 20 firefighters responded with their equipment including one fire engine, four Type 6 trucks and one tender truck. In addition to the Cedar City Fire Department, crews from the Bureau of Land Management, and the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands also responded to the incident.

The individual who had been burning weeds received a citation from Iron County Sheriff’s Office, officials said at the scene.

Iron County Fire Warden Ryan Riddle said residents should always check with fire officials regarding restrictions and obtain a proper burn permit before doing any open burning. Failure to do so could result in misdemeanor criminal penalties of up to $1,000 in fines and/or up to six months in jail, he said.

“It is drying out quickly, so please make sure all campfires are cold to the touch before leaving,” Riddle said. “Don’t park in dry grass and make sure all small engines have a spark arrestor.”

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeff Richards, a native of Salt Lake City with family roots in Panguitch, lived in Moab for 20 years before joining St. George News in 2017. Jeff is a longtime journalist and secondary school teacher. He and his wife Penny are the parents of five daughters. They also have three young grandsons. Jeff and his family enjoy swimming, camping, sightseeing, reading, and taking pictures.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @stgnews@moabjeff@stgnewssports

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