VERNAL, Utah, Sept. 10, 2018 (Gephardt Daily) — The Bender Mountain Fire, which started Sept. 2 near the Three Corners area where Utah, Wyoming and Colorado border each other, produced a column of smoke Monday that was visible for quite a distance.
The smoke alarmed some members of the public, a Bureau of Land Management news release said.
The BLM wants to reassure the public that the smoke was partly caused by “planned firing operations carried out by firefighters,” and is not a cause for concern.
“There are also unburned pockets of timber and other fuels inside the fire perimeter that have ignited, producing more smoke,” the release states. “The fire will likely produce additional smoke until the area receives significant rainfall or even snow.”
The Bender Mountain Fire is 75 percent contained and covers 4,112 acres. There has been minimal growth over the past week, the BLM release said.
Two firefighting crews, three engines and an air attack plane are assigned to the fire, with a total of more than 50 personnel.
It is being investigated as a human-caused fire, but arson is not suspected.
