ALPINE, Utah County, Utah, July 20, 2017 (Gephardt Daily) — A fire that broke out above Alpine Saturday night is now 100 percent contained.
Utah Fire Info tweeted late Thursday that smoke may continue to be visible from surrounding areas, and the fire will be monitored.
The Water Tower Fire caused the evacuation of 25 homes in the area, officials said. That evacuation order was lifted at about 3:30 p.m. Sunday.
Utah Fire Info posted on Twitter Wednesday evening the fire was 397 acres, and though it was 90 percent contained, fire personnel would continue to monitor the fire.
The fire, which started at about 8:30 p.m. Saturday, was moving uphill and slowly to the north and south, fueled by grass and brush. The fast-moving blaze had burned about 90 acres by 11:45 p.m. Saturday.
Utah County, Lone Peak Fire, and other local departments have been on scene. A Type 3 Incident Management Team was managing the incident and then transferred control of the fire to a local Type 4 Management Team at 6 a.m. Tuesday.
It has been reported that the blaze was caused by target shooters using .50-caliber bullets in the dry, grassy area. The heat produced by the speed of the bullet left the casing hot enough to start the fire when it landed on the ground. Fire officials are urging the public to remember that even if shooting is legal in an area, the hot, dry conditions make it unsafe and unwise.
