Fire fighters quickly contain wildfire south of Hardware Ranch – Cache Valley Daily

Fire fighter helmet and coat (Will Feelright).

HYRUM — Fire fighters from multiple agencies were able to quickly contain a wildfire south of Hardware Ranch on Wednesday afternoon. The Ant Flat Fire was initially reported around 1:45 p.m. on Ant Flat Road near Hardware Peak Mountain Estates.

According to emergency radio traffic, as firefighters arrived on the scene, the blaze was estimated to be about five acres in size and spreading moderately and threatening nearby structures.

Cache County Fire Marshal Jason Winn said the fire eventually grew to about 20 acres in size. Fire fighters were able to establish a perimeter around the blaze in about three hours.

Crews from Cache and Weber counties, along with the U.S. Forest Service worked together to get the fire contained quickly. They were helped by two helicopters and two Single Engine Airtankers (SEATs) from the Northern Utah Interagency Fire Center. They dropped water and retardant on hotspots.

The fire is suspected to have been ignited by lightning from a storm that passed through the area around the time flames were reported.

According to fire center crews, Wednesday’s fire occurred as crews were already working to contain another fire in the area. The Curtis Creek Fire, about three miles east of Hard Ware Ranch, was reported Tuesday night. It has only burned about a half-acre. The cause is under investigation.

Winn said crews will remain on the Ant Flat Fire to extinguish any hotspots and insure containment lines hold.

will@cvradio.com