ST. GEORGE — A wildfire in Kane County has forced the evacuations of campgrounds and hiking trails at the popular Wire Pass trailhead.
The Wire Pass fire in Kane County started at approximately 11 p.m. on Friday night with the cause currently unknown. The fire is in the area of the Wire Pass trailhead, which is the starting point for The Wave and Buckskin Gulch hikes, both very popular hiking trails.
The Wire Pass trail, Buckskin trail, The Wave and the Stateline campground have all been evacuated.
“Initial attack crews are responding as of this morning,” BLM Utah’s Paria River District Public Affairs Specialist David Hercher said. “It is burning east towards the Wire Pass trailhead so at this time there are some trailheads and power lines threatened.”
Hercher confirmed that hikers in the area of the Wire Pass trailhead are currently being evacuated. Hercher added that people in the area are being asked to use caution while leaving on House Rock Valley Road due to heavy smoke.
House Rock Valley Road is closed from pavement to pavement on the north and south end according to Hercher.
The Wire Pass Fire is also in close vicinity to the Mangum Fire currently burning in Northern Arizona.
“It’s extremely close,” Hercher said of the proximity.
Crews from the Mangum Fire are being borrowed to work on the Wire Pass Fire according to Hercher and Mangum Fire information officer Gerry Perry. With red flag conditions being expected on Sunday and Monday, fire crews are working hard to try and get a handle on the fire before conditions get worse.
Editor’s note: This story was initially published with the wrong picture and has been corrected.
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.