A brush fire sparked in Weber County Tuesday morning as swelled into a blaze that has claimed at least six structures, including multiple homes, and forced mandatory evacuations. Officials with the Weber Fire District have confirmed that authorities are telling residents east of U.S. 89 they need to leave their homes, as the flame has managed to jump the highway and now threatens structures in South Weber. Evacuees are being directed to the Dee Events Center on the Weber State campus, located at 4400 Harrison Blvd. Already several schools at risk of burning have evacuated students who were not picked up by their parents to the location.
High winds have driven the fire into new areas, as embers fly as far as 40 feet and ignite new blazes. The wind has also made fighting the rapidly spreading fire even more difficult, as it has prevented the use of aircraft to stop its advance.
Utah Fire Info has tweeted that the fire is currently 40 acres in size and is zero percent contained as of this afternoon. So far no injuries have been reported. The cause of the fire remains unknown at this time as fire crews focus on stopping the flames from doing any more damage.
Public domain photo