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Wildfire evacuates homes near Cedar City, burns 1,500 acres

Posted at 7:56 AM, Oct 17, 2016
and last updated 2016-10-17 16:32:11-04

CEDAR CITY, Utah — Crews responded to a wild fire near Shirts Canyon Monday.

Fire officials said the cause of the fire is still under investigation, but initial reports indicate that some logging debris that had been smoldering for an extended period of time may have ignited the blaze.

Lt. Del Schlosser confirmed the fire has burned about 1,500 acres three miles south of Cedar City.

The acres burned include state lands, Bureau of Land Management lands and private lands.

Crews are having difficulty fighting the fire due to 40 mph winds and gusts up to 60 mph.

Three homes are under evacuation orders and the Cedar Highlands Community is on notice to evacuate if necessary.

Authorities said 12 fire apparatuses with aircraft have been ordered to the area.

Fire officials said the cause of the fire has not been confirmed to have started on private land but is suspected of starting there.

No injuries have been reported.

Check back with Fox 13 for the latest updates.