On July 10, a vehicle rollover near Mile Marker 217 on Interstate 70, approximately 15 miles west of the Utah/Colorado border, started a wildfire that grew to nearly 1,800 acres by the next day. According to UtahFireInfo.gov, by July 12 the fire was contained, but crews were still on the ground finishing suppression efforts.
Windy and hot conditions blew the fire through dry grasses, which allowed it to grow so quickly. According to Utah Fire Info, all of the land overseen by the Moab Interagency Fire Center is at a “very high” fire danger rating.
The fire pulled together five different agencies: the Bureau of Land Management (Grand Junction and the Canyon Country District), Moab Valley Fire Protection District, Lower Valley Fire Department, Rocky Mountain Power, and the Utah Department of Transportation. The only infrastructure threatened was oil and gas infrastructure; the fire also briefly shut down traffic on I70 on July 11. The Westwater boat put-in and ranger station is unaffected and still open to recreation, according to the BLM.
“The firefighters on the ground and in the area did a phenomenal job catching the wind-driven incident, and fire and agency managers are very grateful for their quick response in tough conditions,” a press release from the BLM Canyon Country District reads.
The Moab Valley Fire Department has been extremely busy this summer: since July 1, the department has responded to 17 calls, including seven on the night of July 4 started due to fireworks. They’ve also responded to two calls of brush fires started due to vehicle rollovers: the Mile Marker 217 fire on I70, and another fire started near Mile Marker 119 on Highway 191 just earlier this week.
Clark Maughan, the wildland fire coordinator for the department, said this year’s brush fires have been more frequent than usual due to the heavy load of dry grasses. Last year’s intense monsoon season into an unusually wet winter led to the growth of cheatgrass, which by now, has dried into wildfire fuel.
“All it takes is one little spark,” Maughan said. “These are just rapidly moving fires.”
The department doesn’t expect relief from monsoon-season rains for another month or so, he said: “We’re geared up for a continuation of fire season in these conditions.”
