UPDATE: As of Monday morning, the West Valley Fire near Pine Valley has burned an estimated 10,510 acres and is 5% contained.
Officials say no evacuations are in place, but fire crews are clearing brush along roads near the community of New Harmony. A community meeting will be held at the New Harmony Fire Station at 7 p.m. Monday to update residents.
Crews say a red flag warning in effect for Monday will bring temperatures in the 80s and wind gusts of up to 25 mph, which could mean increased fire activity.
There are currently about 560 personnel fighting the fire.
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SOUTHERN UTAH -- The West Valley Fire in southern Utah grew an estimated 4,700 acres Thursday to reach 7,200 acres in total, and officials say the blaze was human caused.
According to officials fighting the fire, investigators have determined as of Friday morning the blaze was caused by an abandoned campfire.
The fire, which began Wednesday afternoon, is burning one mile east of Gardner Peak and about three miles northeast of Pine Valley Campground.
Thursday the fire burned aggressively northeast in the direction of the Mill Flat Fire Scar from 2009. Officials say the community of New Harmony is not threatened at this time but crews are working in the area to improve existing fuel line breaks and creating an indirect line should the fire head that way.
A temporary closure is in place for Dixie National Forest from the Forest boundary west of New Harmony, the National Forest Boundary and the Pine Valley Wilderness Boundary and north of Pine Valley Wilderness Boundary, the Summit Trail and the Canal Trail as well as east of the Forest Road 011 and south of Forest Road 009. Rorest Road 035-4011 are closed.
Fire officials say the smoke is visible from most of Iron and Washington counties and that Thursday's red flag warning conditions contributed to fire growth. That red flag warning remains in effect until Friday at 10 p.m.
"The weather is expected to create containment challenges for firefighters," officials stated.
About 10 homes near Mill Flat Trail head are threatened. The homes are located about two miles from the fire.
There are numerous forest road and trail closures in effect. Click here for those closures.
