Firefighters are battling another active wildfire in southern Utah, which started Thursday afternoon and now covers an area of nearly 6,000 acres, officials said. The so-called Black Mountain Fire ignited approximately three miles south of Minersville in Beaver County after a car crashed on Highway 130 and rolled into dry grass, according to Nick Howell, a local public information officer. The fire is the fifth to take hold in Utah in the space of just two days, with particularly dry conditions exacerbating the situation. It is currently moving east of Minersville, although officials don't think the town is under threat. Emergency management director for Beaver County, Les Whitney, tried to allay the fears of the town's residents, suggesting that the highway is a good fire break. "We want them to know that we're doing our very best to take care of them and to stop this fire from crossing Highway 130 and getting on the west side towards Minersville," he told Deseret News. The highway has been closed while firefighters combat the fire. Several fire crews from California have been making their way into Utah in order to assist local efforts. Utah Governor Gary Herbert warned residents in the state to be cautious and follow fire restrictions during a press conference on KUED Channel 7. "With the fireworks, with local and state fire ordinances, they are there for a reason, especially as dry as we are. That is probably our main concern from a human-caused standpoint as we approach the holiday period," he said. The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a red flag fire warning for much of central and southern Utah on Thursday. A red flag warning is a forecast warning issued by the NWS to inform firefighting crews and land management agencies that conditions are ideal for wild fires to ignite and rapidly spread.<doc-sep>Fires have been growing in Utah due to red flag conditions, including dry weather and high winds. Here is a list of the major active fires right now, according to Utah Fire Info and other sources, along with maps on where the larger ones are located. You can view a map of all the Utah fires here. Black Mountain Fire Firefighters are making great progress on this fire, according to Utah Fire Info. The fire is 90 percent contained. Dollar Ridge Fire #DollarRidgeFire still at 6,600 acres and 0% contained. Lots of questions coming in about Camelot cabins. The fire is still 5 miles from Pinnacles. Latest and more accurate map: https://t.co/yasA3qUrOi pic.twitter.com/hHnU4HOE5r — Utah Fire Info (@UtahWildfire) July 2, 2018 The Dollar Ridge fire caused officials to close Strawberry River Road at Camelot, KUTV reported. The fire is southeast of Strawberry Reservoir and has been burning on national forest land. It threatens 10 structures, including cabins. By Sunday night it had grown to 6,600 acres. It’s still that size today, and 0 percent contained. The fire had started when someone burned timber on private property and was initially just 20 acres in size. Trail Mountain Fire Trail Mountain Fire 85 percent contained; many resources to be reassigned https://t.co/ot0K2VES56 #Utah — UtahPage (@UtahPage) July 2, 2018 The Trail Mountain fire began as a prescribed burn on June 4, and it grew to over 18,000 acres, FOX 13 reported. It’s now 85 percent contained. West Valley Fire The #WestValleyFire is grown to 10,510 acres and is at 5% containment. Helicopters continue to drop water on hotspots, and fixed-wing air tankers are dropping retardant to support crews on the fireline. See full details on Inciweb: https://t.co/jGtH4eBe3T pic.twitter.com/QupIyrMtUa — Utah Fire Info (@UtahWildfire) July 2, 2018 Among the largest of the fires in Utah is the West Valley Fire, which is 10,510 acres and 5 percent contained, KUTV reported. The fire is currently burning in steep, rugged terrain. Helicopters are dropping water on hot spots and air tankers are dropping retardant to help fire crews. Willow Patch Fire #willowpatchfire update: 4711 acres, 50% contained. Red flag warning today. For your safety and firefighter safety, please do not stop along highway 24 where you see fire activity or equipment. pic.twitter.com/DDvPMYsTHy — Utah Fire Info (@UtahWildfire) July 2, 2018 The Willow Patch fire in Sevier County is 4,551 acres and 50 percent contained, FOX 13 reported. The fire is located near on Highway 24 near the Mile 19 marker. No structures are currently threatened, but intermittent power outages may still happen. The fire started on the afternoon of June 1, but the cause is not yet known.<doc-sep>Moderate weather conditions were helping fire crews as they worked to corral a wildfire that had threatened a small town in southwest Utah. The West Valley Fire seen from 59 North in southern Utah, Friday, June 29, 2018. (Rachel Aston Las Vegas Review-Journal @rookie__rae) Smoke and glow from a wildfire is seen from Washington City, Utah, Thursday, June 28, 2018. Firefighters were battling more than a half dozen wild land blazes across Utah in record heat and windy conditions on Thursday. (Chris Caldwell/The Spectrum via AP) In this Wednesday, June 27, 2018 photo, smoke from a wildfire is seen from Washington City, Utah. Firefighters were battling more than a half dozen wild land blazes across Utah in record heat and windy conditions on Thursday. (Chris Caldwell/The Spectrum via AP) The West Valley Fire seen from 59 North in southern Utah, Friday, June 29, 2018. (Rachel Aston Las Vegas Review-Journal @rookie__rae) The West Valley Fire seen from 59 North in southern Utah, Friday, June 29, 2018. (Rachel Aston Las Vegas Review-Journal @rookie__rae) The West Valley Fire seen from 59 North in southern Utah, Friday, June 29, 2018. (Rachel Aston Las Vegas Review-Journal @rookie__rae) The West Valley Fire seen from 59 North in southern Utah, Friday, June 29, 2018. (Rachel Aston Las Vegas Review-Journal @rookie__rae) SALT LAKE CITY — Moderate weather conditions were helping fire crews as they worked to corral a wildfire that had threatened a small town in southwest Utah. The fire burning near Minersville Town was about 30 percent contained Saturday and fire officials said they expected to boost that containment with their efforts throughout the day. Another fire, dubbed the West Valley Fire, was sparked by an abandoned campfire. It has charred 12 square miles of national forest land in the southwest corner of the state. Smokejumpers were working there to secure the fire’s southern flank, while hotshot crews built line along the fire’s edge where possible. They were getting help from water-dropping helicopters. No evacuations have been ordered at any of the fires, and no injuries have been reported.<doc-sep>
A wildfire in western Utah is threatening homes in the nearby town of Minersville. Dubbed the Black Mountain Fire, the blaze was reported Thursday afternoon and has already grown to about 4,000 acres, Utah Fire Info said. The fire was initially reported at just 100 acres, but quickly grew to around 4,000. The Black Mountain Fire was burning about two miles south of the town of Minersville, home to less than 1,000 people. Authorities said that the cause of the fire was under investigation, though it was believed to have been caused by human action. There were nine active wildfires burning in Utah Thursday, according to Utah Fire Info. The Trail Mountain Fire, in the Manti-La Sal Forest, was almost 18,000 acres by Thursday. Fire officials were able to reach about 80 percent containment. The Trail Mountain Fire initially began as a prescribed burn that escaped its designated area due to high winds. In eastern Utah, firefighters were also working to contain the Fruitland Shed Fire, which burned two homes, The Salt Lake Tribune reported. The National Weather Service put a Red Flag Warning into effect Thursday for much of Utah, warning the state was at increased risk for fire due to strong winds, high temperatures and low relative humidity. "A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or are imminent," the NWS said. "Any fires that develop will have the potential to spread rapidly. Outdoor burning is not recommended." This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.