This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A wildfire that has burned more than half of Antelope Island was 80 percent contained by Sunday evening.
"The fire has been fought aggressively," Shayne Ward, Department of Natural Resources spokesman, said, adding that the smoke plume created by the flames has decreased significantly.
The blaze, called the West Antelope Fire, had burned 13,740 acres and was 35 percent contained by Saturday night, Ward said. He said an additional 820 acres burned on Sunday, for a total of 14,560 acres.
Ground crews and aircraft have been battling the blaze on the ground and by air. Two helicopters were reassigned Sunday evening to help at other fires, but one remained at the West Antelope Fire.
One of the 126 crew members fighting the fire on Sunday had symptoms of a heat-related injury and was taken to a hospital, but was fine, according to Ward. There have been no confirmed injuries to wildlife.
The fire is believed to have been started by lightning late Thursday but didn't develop until about 5:30 p.m. Friday. A Pioneer Day celebration on the island was scheduled for Saturday, but the event was canceled because of the fire. The east-side road to Fielding Garr Ranch and all roads leading south to Buffalo Point and other features south of the visitors center are closed.
The 28,000-acre Antelope Island, a state park that is roughly 15 miles long and 5 miles wide, is the largest of the Great Salt Lake's eight islands. The island was named for the pronghorn antelope but is most famous for its bison herd.
Among the other blazes in the state is the Lower Ebbs Fire in Millard County, which had burned 2,945 acres as of 10 a.m. Sunday. Fire managers and public-safety officials will provide an update on that fire at 6 p.m. Monday at Scipio Community Center, 55 S. Main St.
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