A fire that broke out at Parleys Canyon has forced a mandatory evacuation of the Mount Aire area, per the Unified Fire Authority.
As of Friday morning, the fire remained 0% contained and was estimated at 200 acres. The blaze was human caused — authorities are looking for information about a dump truck dragging chains that reportedly drove through the canyon on Thursday — and remains under investigation.
The department wrote on Twitter on Thursday evening that structures are threatened and residents are advised to leave “immediately.” That evacuation order remained in effect on Friday. Mount Aire is located near Salt Lake City and offers various types of outdoor recreation.
Residents forced to leave their homes can go to an evacuation center set up at Skyline High School, 3251 E. 3760 South in Salt Lake City, per the Unified Fire Authority.
I-80 will close at 9 a.m. Friday to allow firefighters to battle the blaze, and will not reopen until 9 p.m. Authorities encouraged drivers to use highway 189 through Provo Canyon or I-84 through Weber Canyon.
On Thursday night, I-80 was closed between the mouth of the canyon and milepost 142, which is near Jeremy Ranch. Traffic in both directions reopened around 9:30 p.m.
Aerial and ground crews are on the scene fighting the fire, the Unified Fire Authority said.
The Little Dell Recreation Area will be closed to the public Friday, per the Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities, to “support water dipping and fire suppression.”
The Salt Lake Tribune will update this story.
