UINTAH COUNTY, Utah — Hundreds of acres of land were burned by a wildfire sparked in Uintah County that threatened residents and infrastructure.
In total, the "Red Bridge Fire" scorched about 452 acres and burned in the River Bottoms South of Ft. Duchesne, officials report.
As of Thursday morning, officials said the fire was completely contained but crews will continue to monitor the area and burn scar.
The fire was first started in a Bureau of Indian Affairs management area.
Chris Secakuku, the public information officer for the Bureau of India Affairs in Ouray/Uintah explained the area where the fire is located is extremely difficult to access due to thick brush and trees.
There are a couple of homes in the area, Secakuku reported, but they are not currently threatened by the fire.
Officials say they have requested assistance from the Utah National Guard for air resources.
Two Black Hawk helicopters with firefighting water buckets and a three-member crew on each will assist in containing the Red Bridge Wildfire in Fort Duchesne, Utah. We stand ready to support firefighting efforts across the state. #UtahNationalGuard #WildfireFighters pic.twitter.com/tFdHifl5qG
— Utah National Guard (@UTNationalGuard) April 24, 2023
In response to the call for help, two Black Hawk helicopters equipped with firefighting water buckets and a three-member crew on each headed to the area to assist in firefighting efforts, the Utah National Guard reported.
"We stand ready to support firefighting efforts across the state," they wrote in a tweet.
Secakuku said there are three fire engines from various state departments working to contain the blaze as well as volunteers from the Uintah County Fire District.
Further details about the number of residents impacted by the fire and how the fire was sparked were not made immediately available.
