Fire Station Construction Sparks Canyon Wildfire
(KUTV) A wildfire burning in Emigration Canyon was apparently sparked by construction workers building a new fire station about four miles up the canyon.
Workers were grinding rebar at the USA fire station site when sparks ignited nearby scrub oak, according to fire officials. The fire quickly spread up the hillside.
“More than anything else, it indicates why there needs to be a fire station in this canyon,” said Captain Scott Freitag, of the Salt Lake City Fire Deparment.
Fire crews are on the ground with tanker trucks. A helicopter and an aircraft are on the scene to attack the flames from the air. The fire is burning a quarter mile from homes. There was an early report of evacuations, but so far homeowners have only been warned to prepare to leave.
The weather has helped the firefighters. The wind is calm and has kept the flames from moving toward homes in the area.
Ten to 15 acres have been burned. No structures, including the fire station, have been damaged.
