Out of State: Utah wildfire might burn all summer

CAL FIRE NEWS - Neola North Fire - Utah forest fire, spreading in national park, might burn all summer, incident commander says:

"We might have fire out there on that mountain this whole summer"

NEOLA, Utah — CAL FIRE NEWS -
Speaking about the suspected arson fire 'We might have fire out there on that mountain this whole summer,' said Kim Martin, incident commander.
Fire authorities want to use a wildfire that has killed three people and charred 62 square miles for wildland benefit use and allow it to continue burning to clear out dead and dying trees, brush, hardwood slash, and undergrowth in the national forest.

One official said Tuesday that it might continue for the rest of the season.
'We might have fire out there on that mountain this whole summer,' said Kim Martin, incident commander.

The fire exploded Friday, with extreme fire behavior with crowning and spotting throughout the burning period. The Fire became plume dominated yesterday afternoon.

The Neola North fire has significant potential for continued growth “Extreme fire behavior with crowning and spotting” is how the National Interagency Fire Center report from Monday, July 2, 2007, described the Neola North Fire in eastern Utah.

Crowning means the fire has moved from the surface into the tops of the trees and may be spreading through the forest canopy independently of the surface fire. Spotting means that burning embers, branches, or leaves are being carried by the wind and setting off fires at a distance from the main blaze.
The fire only began on Friday, June 29, but had grown to more than 35,000 acres as of Monday and three people were killed fighting the fire while defending their property, Since then the fire has burned nearly 35,000 acres, about one-third in the Ashley National Forest and the rest on private and public land and the Uintah and Ouray Indian reservations.

The fire is burning about 100 miles east of Salt Lake City, and that it was about 10 percent contained.
It grew by nearly 8 square miles overnight, but most of the expansion was away from communities, officials said.

The Governor of Utah Jon Huntsman toured the fire Tuesday and deployed 100 National Guard troops Monday to enforce road blocks and assist local law enforcement.
Some communities in the area of northeastern Utah still were still under a mandatory evacuation.

Parts of the forest and several roads leading to the fire were closed to the public. It's still uncertain how many homes, out buildings and other structures have burned, and the cause of the fire was still under investigation.

Low humidity and temperatures in the 90s helped the fire grow. Those conditions were expected to remain throughout the week.