Fast-growing fire near Bryce Canyon reaches over 9,000 acres

A wildfire burning south of Bryce Canyon National Park has quickly blossomed to more than 9,000 acres in size amid hot and dry conditions. But federal firefighters are optimistic that a wind shift on Monday can help fire suppression efforts.

The Deer Springs Fire in Kane County is now estimated to have grown to 9,117 acres, about five times larger than it was Sunday afternoon, Bureau of Land Management officials wrote in an update Monday afternoon. About 50 people are assigned to battle the fire, using seven engines, three air tankers and a water tender truck.

Bureau officials said the crews are optimistic that northeast-blowing winds will help push the fire south of Skutumpah Road so crews can attack the north end of the fire, which is closer to Deer Springs Ranch.

"Today's operational priority is to secure the north flank of the fire, helping protect the Deer Springs community and varying structures in the area once prevailing winds shift back, pushing the fire back to the north," the agency wrote in the report.

It's unclear how the fire started other than it appears to have started from a human cause. It was first reported on Sunday about 13 miles south of Bryce National Park's Yovimpa Point and remains 0% contained.

There are no evacuations in place, but Pasture Road and the Nephi Pasture and Crocodile parking lots are closed to the public amid firefighting operations. A section of Skutumpah Road between Johnson Canyon Road and Lick Wash is only open to residents.

Other fires burning in Utah

The Deer Springs Fire is one of several fires burning across the state this week, according to various state and federal agencies.

The largest remains the Silver King Fire, which surpassed 10,000 acres in size over the weekend. Per a Monday update, the lightning-caused fire within Fishlake National Forest in northwest Piute County has burned 10,026 acres and remains 0% contained.

Residents in nearby Marysvale told KSL-TV they were surprised how quickly that fire blossomed since it started on Friday. Federal officials say hundreds of homes are potentially threatened by the fire as well as several historic mining structures.

"This has been a really emotional fire for, honestly, everyone involved because there's a lot of history up in those hills of those mountains," said resident Ellery Gowdy.

Overall, 472 different fires have sparked throughout Utah this year. Those fires have burned close to 28,000 acres as of Monday afternoon.

This week's fire forecast

While firefighters are optimistic that Monday's conditions can help battle the Deer Springs Fire, "critical" fire conditions are expected to return on Tuesday.

The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for south-central and southwest Utah that will be in effect on Tuesday, as wind and low relative humidity are expected to increase fire danger in those already active regions.

"Any new fire starts or existing fires may spread rapidly," the alert states.

The agency posted on X that wind is forecast to blow smoke from the Silver King and Deer Springs to communities south and west of the fires, including Beaver, Cedar City and St. George, through at least Tuesday.

Hot and dry conditions are forecast throughout the state for the rest of this week.