TOOELE COUNTY, Utah — A wildfire broke out Sunday afternoon on Stansbury Island in the Great Salt Lake, and officials say it may have been caused by target shooting.
The North Tooele Fire District said they responded to a fire on the island, which is located toward the south end of the lake, just a few miles north of Interstate 80.
The fire was first reported shortly after 4 p.m. and was estimated at 38 acres as of 8:30 p.m. It has been named the "Island Fire" by the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire & State Lands.
"It may be hard to see from a distance, but this is the potential danger when target shooting into dry vegetation," the department said.
However, there was no crime committed — target shooting practice is legal in the area where the fire broke out. The person believed to have started the fire called it in and remained at the scene. Officials said they would be fined if it's determined that they did something negligent.
The terrain was very steep, and fire trucks couldn't make it up to the site. Firefighters relied heavily on the state's brand-new "Diamond Fork Helitack" crews. Then, crews went up with shovels, rakes and axes to cut down any vegetation that could cause the fire to keep moving.
Crews from the Grantsville Fire Department, Utah Division of Forestry, and Bureau of Land Management assisted in the response to the fire. A helicopter was used to drop water on the blaze.
Officials said no structures or individuals are threatened.
