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Better weather is helping crews battling the Left Fork Fire

Calmer winds allow firefighting aircraft to return.

The Left Fork Fire continues to burn in the Dixie National Forest, but there is a bit of good news — winds have died down, allowing firefighting aircraft to return to battling the blaze. Two helicopters and four tanker planes joined 145 ground crew members Monday morning.

According to Utah Interagency Fire, the fire has grown to 2,608 acres and remains just 5% contained as of midday Monday. There’s no estimate for when it will be contained. But the blaze, which is about 10 miles southwest of Bryce Canyon City, has caused no injuries, damaged, destroyed or threatened no structures and prompted no evacuations. Some campers did voluntarily leave the area, but they were not ordered to do so.

The fire was human caused, according to fire officials. It began on May 9 when a prescribed burn got out of control, but was believed to have been contained after it burned about 100 acres. The fire reignited on Saturday, however, when strong winds fanned embers into flames.

The Left Fork Fire It is burning through mixed conifer and ponderosa pine with a heavy concentration of dead and/or fallen trees. It is moving northeast and has crossed the middle fork of Blubber Creek.