By Mark Havnes
The Salt Lake Tribune
Copyright 2006 The Salt Lake Tribune
All Rights Reserved
CEDAR CITY, Utah — Fires burning in southwestern Utah on Tuesday cast a haze of smoke through Cedar City and other communities as firefighters boosted their efforts by bringing in more advanced management teams.
The human-caused Ranch Fire, burning in Washington County since Sunday, was 40 percent contained and had burned 5,000 acres by Tuesday.
LaCee Bartholomew, spokeswoman for the Color Country Interagency Fire Area, said fire crews made progress securing the northern part of the fire near the residential community of New Harmony.
She said the fire grew in the south and west areas, east of Interstate 15, where the fire burned into the LaVerkin Creek area, but no structures or private property were threatened.
Bartholomew said by Tuesday night, all engines associated with the Color Country consortium of firefighters were out fighting fires.
Lightning strikes in the area Tuesday night had started more than 40 wildland fires, but most were contained to an acre or less.
Low relative humidity forecasted for today concerns firefighters, Bartholomew said. The low humidity could work in the fire’s favor.
Bartholomew said officials hope to contain the Ranch Fire by Sunday.
Bartholomew said the Dog Valley Fire in Millard County near the interchange of I-15 and Interstate 70 that was triggered Sunday by lightning was at 10,000 acres.
Both the Ranch and Dog Valley fires received upgraded management teams on Tuesday to bring more resources to fighting the fires.
The team fighting the Ranch Fire took over the parking lot of Cedar Middle School, deploying cooking services, portable toilets and showers as firefighters set up tents on nearby grassy areas.
Kirk Jensen, a unit manager with R and G Food Services in Tucson, Ariz., arrived Tuesday with tractor-trailers loaded with food and equipment to serve 450 meals, three times a day.
Jensen said the company is one of 23 contractors nationwide that feeds firefighters on major fires.
By Tuesday afternoon his crews were setting up tables in the parking lot — complete with checkered table cloths — to feed 200 firefighters at a time.
“We feed them 8,500 calories a day,” said Jensen.