Crews responding to the fire above Ensign Peak have made good progress this week thanks in part to Monday’s lower temperatures and higher humidity, an official said.
By Tuesday afternoon, the roughly 200-acre fire had not significantly expanded, according to Utah Fire Info. Containment by then had also since reached 89%.
The fire had only been 10% contained as of early Monday, but crews reached 82% containment by Monday evening. The drastic jump in containment “translates to some good work by the resources on the line,” said Brian Trick, a public information officer for the Northern Utah Type 3 Incident Management Team.
The cause was officially considered “undetermined” as of Monday evening, according to Utah Fire Info. Early reports on Utah Fire Info’s website that the fire was human-caused were inaccurate.
Salt Lake City fire on Tuesday emphasized in a statement that while officials understand the “concern and curiosity” surrounding the cause of the wildfire, investigators are “confident” after a thorough scene examination that the cause of the fire “was not related to activities such as fireworks, homeless encampments or unattended campfires.”
The agency added that it is committed to providing timely and transparent updates about the situation.
“While the fire scene is still active and the investigation is ongoing, we will continue to keep the public informed as new information becomes available,” the Salt Lake City Fire Department statement read.
In firefighting, “containment” refers to how much of a blaze’s perimeter is secured, not how much of a fire is still burning. The containment established early on included the fire’s southern perimeter, closest to homes, officials said.
That allowed the fire’s incident management team late Sunday to lift the mandatory evacuation order that had been in place for about 40 homes above Sandhurst Drive.
As of Tuesday evening, there were no mandatory or voluntary evacuations in place.
Trick said that residents should remain alert in case evacuation becomes necessary again. Those affected can find updates through Utah Fire Info at @utahwildfire (on the social media platform X) or on Utah Fire Info’s website. Utah Fire Info is an interagency-led effort to disseminate wildfire information to the public.
Trails for Ensign Peak, Tunnel Springs and the section of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail closest to the fire remained closed Tuesday, Trick said. City Creek Canyon also remained closed, according to the Salt Lake City public utilities department.
Officials hope to have trails back open for the Pioneer Day holiday on Wednesday, Trick said.
The wildfire initially ignited on Saturday afternoon, sparking evacuations and threatening homes, radio towers and monuments.