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Utah agencies urge fire prevention as wildfire season continues

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Utah agencies urge fire prevention as wildfire season continues


SALT LAKE CITY — The National Fire Prevention Association dedicates this week, Oct. 6-12, to raising awareness about fire prevention. Utah first responders are also asking people to be cautious as we head into another warm, dry week.

“We’re at 280 acres which is actually spread out over an incline and a pretty steep environment,” said Jon Smith, a public information officer for North Tooele Fire District.

Saturday afternoon, the North Tooele Fire District got the call to a wildfire on the west side of the Oquirrh Mountain range.

“No structures were threatened, no evacuations were issued, but it was really, really dry conditions and we’ve been dealing with record high temperatures — not just for the month of August, but really all summer long. We’ve had extended periods without rain,” said Smith.

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The cause is still under investigation, but Smith said it was human-caused. He said they hope to have the fire contained by Monday morning.

This is not the only wildfire the North Tooele Fire District is battling.

“We do work with other agencies, and the Yellow Lake Fire is of course a much bigger event,” Smith said. “People have this misnomer that fire season is over when the summer months have passed, and nothing could be further from the truth. September and October are very busy fire months.”

As of Sunday evening, the Yellow Lake Fire in eastern Wasatch County had grown to more than 15,000 acres, with more than 450 personnel on the ground.

“We do still have hotter than normal temperatures, 15° above average. The winds are still variable and up to 10 to 15 mph,” said Brian Trick, the public information officer for the Yellow Lake Fire.

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Emergency crews are asking residents and recreators in certain areas to leave for their own safety.

“The West Fork of the Duchesne River, as well as the North Rork, are under a mandatory evacuation. The Granddaddy Lakes area is under a ready order, as well as the town of Hanna,” said Trick.

While officials are still looking into what caused the Yellow Lake Fire and the West Oquirrh Fire, they believe they were both caused by people.

“We also understand it’s very cold at night, and so if you’re a recreator or are a hunter and you are not in a closure order or an evacuated area and you are just recreating, campfires are permitted,” Trick said. “But it’s that idea: make sure it’s dead out, so cold to the touch.”

Officials say fire season is not over, so the Utahns need to always be mindful.

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“As we saw the last two days, we had some explosive fire growth and it would just be very difficult to track folks,” Trick said. “It’s for their safety as well as firefighters and law enforcement officers who might have to go find them and help them.”





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Utah

Multiple earthquakes detected near Kanosh

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Multiple earthquakes detected near Kanosh


KANOSH, Utah — The United States Geological Survey recorded multiple earthquakes near Kanosh Sunday morning, each of them having an average magnitude of 3.0.

The first earthquake, magnitude 3.0, was detected just after 12:30 a.m., with the epicenter located half a mile south of Kanarraville.

The second quake, magnitude 3.2, was detected around 5:45 a.m., with the epicenter nearly five miles south-southwest of Kanosh. This was followed by two more quakes in the same area, a magnitude 2.5 quake coming in around 6:35 a.m., followed by a third around 7:45 a.m, which measured at magnitude 3.3.

This has since been followed by another quake, measuring at magnitude 3.7, being detected around 8:45 a.m. The geographic location in the USGS report places the epicenter approximately over two miles south of the Dry Wash Trail, about six miles south-southwest of Kanosh.

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FOX 13 News previously spoke with researchers at University of Utah, who said that earthquake swarms are relatively common. A study published in 2023 posits that swarms may be triggered by geothermal activity. The findings came after a series of seismic swarms were detected in central Utah, within the vicinity of three geothermal power plants.

The study also says that the swarms fall into a different category than aftershocks that typically follow large quakes, such as the magnitude 5.7 earthquake that hit the Wasatch Fault back in 2020.





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Embattled Utah Rep. Trevor Lee loses county GOP convention — but wins enough support to make primary

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Embattled Utah Rep. Trevor Lee loses county GOP convention — but wins enough support to make primary


Earlier in the week, House Speaker Mike Schultz said lawmakers asked the attorney general to investigate allegations of fraud and bribery against Lee.

(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) Rep. Trevor Lee, R-Layton, running for reelection, addresses delegates during the Davis County Republican Party nominating convention at Syracuse High School on Saturday, April 18, 2026.



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A new bar brings the Himalayas to the foot of Big Cottonwood Canyon

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A new bar brings the Himalayas to the foot of Big Cottonwood Canyon


Also from Utah Eats: A Utah baker ends his run on a Food Network competition; Lucky Slice’s territory grows.

(Francisco Kjolseth | The Salt Lake Tribune) The Yeti, a Himalayan-themed bar in Cottonwood Heights, is pictured on Wednesday, April 8, 2026.



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