Officials are looking for two people believed to be responsible for the wildfire
Fire crews head up East Pages Lane as a fire burns on the hill East of Centerville, Utah early Friday, Aug. 30, 2019. Three homes were destroyed and anther eight were impacted with fire damage. An additional 400 homes have been evacuated in the Centerville area. (Colter Peterson/The Deseret News via AP)
By MORGAN SMITH Associated Press
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A wildfire in northern Utah that destroyed three homes was 10% contained as of Friday afternoon.
The fire, which was caused by a campfire, is estimated to have grown to about 365 acres (148 hectares), said Kim Osborn, a U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman.
Officials are looking for two people who were last seen camping on an access road in Bountiful who are believed to be responsible for the blaze, Osborn said.
The fire heavily damaged five more homes and prompted the evacuation of hundreds of people in two Salt Lake City suburbs.
Occupants of more than 400 homes fled, but no injuries were reported, said Lt. Dave Edwards, with the police in the city of Bountiful.
Evacuation orders remain in place for about 240 homes.
The fire started about 1 a.m. during a thunderstorm. Strong winds blowing down from mountains helped spread the rapidly moving blaze into residential neighborhoods, said Paul Child, the police chief in the neighboring city of Centerville, where people were also evacuated but later allowed home
A fire burns on the hill East of Centerville early on the morning of Friday, Aug. 30, 2019. Three homes were destroyed and anther eight were impacted with fire damage. An additional 400 homes have been evacuated in the Centerville area. (Colter Peterson/The Deseret News via AP)
A fire burns on the hill East of Centerville early Friday, Aug. 30, 2019.Three homes were destroyed and anther eight were impacted with fire damage. An additional 400 homes have been evacuated in the Centerville area. (Colter Peterson/The Deseret News via AP)
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