SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — There have been hundreds of human-caused wildfires this year in Utah, but the legal outcomes are hard to track.

At least two people have been charged recently for starting fires: one for the Memory Grove Fire in Salt Lake and one for the Mountain Road Fire in Ogden.

This year alone, 327 wildfires have been started by people in Utah — an act that should carry consequences, according to some.

“Certainly, if it’s intentional, it’s against the law,” resident David Mastroianni said. “If it’s not intentional, then they weren’t being as careful as they should be with something they should be careful with.”

But, before anyone gets to that point, there’s a lot of work that goes into figuring out what started the fire, let alone who.

“The fire investigator will show up on scene and will look at the scene, collect evidence, and then turn it over to the proper authorities,” said Kelly Wickens with Forestry, Fire, and State Lands.

Tracking which fires end with criminal charges or civil suits is difficult.

Wickens said that once the fire is out and the investigator turns the evidence over, their work is done, and it’s up to the proper authorities to press charges.

“Arson does require — this is what makes it difficult — is that you have to establish someone intentionally started a fire,” said former prosecutor Nathan Evershed.

Evershed said there are more charges than just arson, such as reckless burning.

“So, if it’s not intentional and it’s more accidental, it can still be viewed as being reckless,” Evershed said.

That could mean if a firework accidentally causes a fire.

Evershed said that there’s also a difference between causing a structure fire and a grass fire. A structure fire could result in aggravated arson charges.

But what happens if a fire is completely accidental?

“It’s more difficult to find a criminal sanction on that … still could be a civil sanction on that, where somebody would have to pay restitution,” Evershed said.

So, while there’s no concrete number for how many human-caused fires have led to charges or civil suits, there are a lot of avenues if someone does get caught.

Evershed said you can even be charged if you just abandon a campfire that causes a fire.

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TETON COUNTY, Wyo. — The Wyoming Department of Health recently confirmed two additional cases of measles in Teton County, bringing the statewide total to six cases, with five cases having occurred in Teton County.

A release from the WDH states that one recently-confirmed case is an adult with no identified links to the previous three Teton County cases, while the other case is also an adult, who had direct exposure to a previously identified case.

“This underscores the highly contagious nature of the measles virus,” the release states.

According to the release, the public may have been exposed to measles at the following locations and times:

Target Jackson Hole, 510 S Highway 89, Jackson, Wyoming 83001

• July 5, 2026, 7:00 AM through 7:00 PM
• July 6, 2026, 7:00 AM through 7:00 PM
• July 7, 2026, 7:00 AM through 7:00 PM

Smith’s Food and Drug, 1425 South Highway 89, Jackson, Wyoming 83001

• July 8, 2026, 9:00 AM through noon

“Measles is very contagious and can cause serious illness, including pneumonia, encephalitis, hospitalization, and death,” the release states. “Vaccination is the best way to prevent measles infection.”

For more information on measles, including case counts, exposure locations, and guidance on what to do if exposed, visit the Wyoming Department of Health website.  

Related

One person is dead and two others are missing near Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay after a boat with 19 people aboard capsized Tuesday afternoon, officials said.

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A vessel was reported to be on fire around 600 yards off Alcatraz around 3:35 p.m., and police found a capsized three-deck pontoon boat, San Francisco Fire Chief Dean Crispen said.

The incident was initially reported as a fire, but no first responders reported witnessing a blaze, Crispen said.

Everyone on the boat is believed to have been adults, Crispen said. A dog was also on board and is dead, he said.

Thirteen people were safely rescued, and another three were transported to hospitals, Crispen said.

Firefighters are “in full rescue mode,” with 11 boats and divers as part of the response, Crispen said.

“We are going to continue for hours to make sure that we find these two missing people, if possible,” Crispen said.

“It seemed like a recreational-type vessel, but that’s all we know at this point,” Crispen told reporters.

The vessel reportedly launched from a yacht club, and investigators were still gathering information, he said.

Helicopter footage from NBC Bay Area showed responding rescue boats and debris floating in the water. Video from the station appeared to show some of the rescued with blankets on shore.

Local police departments and private vessels also responded to the incident, Crispen said.

“This is an all-hands-on-deck search and hopefully rescue,” San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie said.

When first responders arrived, some people were in the water, others were on the sinking boat, and others were falling into the water, Crispen said.

Alcatraz Island is the site of the famous prison located in San Francisco Bay, around 1 mile offshore. It was closed as a federal prison in 1963 and is now a National Park.

Crispen said the search would be extensive.

“Our standard operating procedure is to continue to search, as long as it’s safe enough for us to search,” he said.

He said divers were in the water, helicopters were above, and officials were searching areas where survivors in the water would tend to move to.

“This search will go on for some time,” Crispen said.