Here’s Why There’s So Much Smoke in Southern Utah

Residents in Washington County smelled nothing but smoke while outdoors on July 13 as a murky haze covered the area, but what is the cause? 

To put it bluntly, fires. Lots of fires. The wildfire season in Utah has been a busy one this year with several fires being reported across the state, but none of the big ones have been too close to Washington County, until July 13 that is. 

Several lightning strikes caused three notable wildfires to spark across the Arizona Strip near Southern Utah, causing the smoke to flow into the region. 

The biggest of the three fires is the Quail Springs Fire located 14 miles South of St. George. Utah Fire Info lists the fire at 3,000 acres and 0% contained. This is the closest a wildfire of this size has been to St. George this season, with the Deer Springs Fire in Kane County being the closest before July 13. 

The other two fires reported on July 13 on the Arizona Strip include the Gulch Fire at 632 acres, and the Little Joe Fire at 101 acres. 

As for the before-mentioned Deer Springs Fire in Kane County, it has grown to over 11,000 acres, but is now 70% contained.  

The Little Twist Fire in Beaver County has now been burning for over a month since a prescribed burn grew out of control on June 13. The fire has burned over 5,000 acres and is currently 60% contained. 

Lastly, the biggest wildfire in Utah is the Silver King Fire in Piute County, which has burned almost 18,000 acres since it was first reported on July 5. The wildfire caused by a lightning strike is currently reported as 8% contained.