BOX ELDER COUNTY, Utah, June 25, 2016 (Gephardt Daily) — The accidental dumping of hot charcoal briquettes into tinder-dry grass led to an 8,000-acre wildfire in Box Elder County overnight.
Jason Curry, public information officer for the Utah Division of Fire, Forestry and State Lands, said the fire began about 5:30 p.m. Friday when a camper knocked over his burning barbecue grill.
The Peplin Fire, burning near Kelton, Utah, 50 miles west of Tremonton, grew dramatically overnight and into Saturday morning, fed by hot dry winds and fields of dry cheat grass.
By midday Saturday, firefighters said the blaze had scorched more than 7,500 acres and was 18 percent contained.
Firefighters say the camper who inadvertently dumped the burning charcoal was injured trying to extinguish the fire when it first broke out.
It’s unclear if he’ll be charged for starting the fire.
The cost of the fire fighting effort is currently estimated at $70,000.
