Meanwhile, the Silver King Fire, which was sparked by lightning on July 5 and has since become the state’s largest at over 17,000 acres, grew almost 800 acres over the weekend, fueled by hot, dry weather and strong winds.
The upcoming forecast suggests conditions could continue to worsen in Utah.
Much of the state has seen record-breaking heat this July, with daily temperature records set in places like Cedar City, Kanab, Provo, Salt Lake City and Tooele, according to the National Weather Service.
Utah had at least three heat-related deaths in recent days. On Friday a 23-year-old woman and her 52-year-old father, both from Wisconsin, died after getting lost and running out of water while hiking in Canyonlands National Park, according to the National Parks Service; on Saturday, the Santa Clara-Ivins Department of Public Safety said first responders found a deceased 30-year-old woman at Snow Canyon State Park after initially being dispatched to help two other people suffering from heat exhaustion.
Utah will likely see a reprieve from dangerous, record-breaking heat this week — but fire conditions won’t improve, officials say. After a long period of high pressure, much of central and northeastern Utah could see widespread thunderstorms that don’t produce much moisture but do cause strong winds.
“We might see a little bit of relief with the thunderstorms, but there will be very low moisture and expected lightning,” said Kelly Wickens, prevention specialist with the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands. “You can expect increased activity with any fires in those areas.”
The National Weather Service says smoke from the fires will continue to impact northern Utah and southwest Wyoming into Tuesday. Air quality in northern Utah remains at moderate levels, although that could worsen.
By the weekend, more high pressure could settle over the state, bringing with it the same hot and dry conditions.
Read the full report at Utah News Dispatch.
