SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) – An evacuation has been ordered after the Parleys Canyon Fire broke out on the south side of Parleys Canyon near highway I-80.
According to Utah Fire Info, a joint fire initiative, all Summit Park, Pinebrook, Mill Creek Canyon, and Lambs Canyon residents are being asked to evacuate the area. The evacuation order affects around 6,000 to 8,000 homes.
Summit County Sheriff’s Office is imploring residents to evacuate, “To the residents who are refusing to evacuate for the #ParleysCanyonFire – you are hampering efforts and are putting first responders in danger. PLEASE evacuate immediately!”
An evacuation shelter has been set up at Park City High School, according to the Summit County Sherriff’s office. Evacuated residents should plan to stay out of their homes for 24 to 48 hours, Summit County officials say.
The fire has grown to an estimated 2,500 to 3,000 acres and according to Utah Fire Info, the fire is currently 0% contained.
Utah Fire Info has determined the fire was caused by a faulty catalytic converter that ejected hot particles along the roadside.
All westbound traffic and one eastbound lane are now open, according to Utah Highway Patrol. Officials are urging drivers to avoid the area and use an alternate route.
Utah Fire Info says the fire threatened 2,000 structures as well as power lines. Currently, the blaze has cooled down due to the hard work of flight crews working to extinguish the flames, says Utah Fire Info.
According to an eyewitness account, late Saturday morning three brush fires were spotted along I-80 “a few hundred feet apart from each other,” however they say the fire appeared to be growing fast.
The fires were mostly spotted near mile marker post 137 between Lambs Canyon and Summit.
According to ABC4 meteorologist Cesar Cornejo, “The dry and hot conditions overhead of northern Utah, unfortunately, will cause the fire behavior to grow. These conditions are never helpful to fighting efforts.”
Utah Fire Info says a Type 2 team that focuses on battling major fires has been ordered. There are currently over 200 emergency personnel working to extinguish the flames, Unified Fire reports.
Multiple ground and air resources are responding to the scene.
ABC4 will update this story as it develops.
