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Wasatch Fire Puts Out Small Blaze

Wasatch County Fire Department

A fire in Wasatch County was contained on Wednesday, thanks to a tip from a driver.

The fire sparked from a power box along state Route 32, overlooking the Jordanelle Reservoir. Firefighters from the Jordanelle and Midway stations arrived quickly and suppressed the burning to half an acre.

“Lucky enough, we were able to get on it," said Ernie Giles, chief of the Wasatch Fire District. "The wind wasn’t blowing extremely hard to where it took it up the hill, but it actually worked out very well for us. Generally speaking, those transformers are along a roadway. There are thousands of them in the county. This one in particular was on the ground.”

Drivers should report any signs of flame or spark from the transformers or any other signs of fire by calling 911.

Giles also said  the rainfall that came through was not enough to decrease the chance of wildfire

“It’s still awful dry. The ground soaked up the rain, and you won’t even know it rained here in a couple days. It’s so dry that it’s gonna take one of them everyday for a long time to get us to where we need to be before we start lifting any restrictions,” he said.

Giles anticipates it will continue to be a busy summer for the fire department. Even days that bring rain are not without hazard.

“It’s been very, very busy this year just for grass and wild-land-type fires. Most of the ones that we have responded to has either been caused by an automobile accident, a tire – human accidents. Luckily, we haven’t had a lot of lightning yet, and hopefully we won’t get a lot. With these thunderstorms and rainstorms that come through, lightning accompanies it, and so we’re gonna have to keep our eye out for them.”

In Wasatch County, fireworks and outdoor fires are banned for the summer, and people are advised not to park cars on grass.

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