High winds cause fire near Hurricane and Toquerville to spread to hundreds of acres

The Hurricane, Colorado City, Washington City and St. George fire departments as well as the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service have responded to the fire, which has been dubbed the 1450 Fire.

The fire in Hurricane, which has grown to around 50-60 acres, is burning north from 600 East near the Sky Mountain Golf Course. Multiple structures have caught fire or are being threatened.

State Route 17 is closed in Washington County due to a new fire near Toquerville.

Utah fire officials say the Anderson Junction Fire, estimated at 500 acres, is being driven by high winds

Personnel from federal, state and local wildfire agencies are responding to the fire.

The fire, named the Anderson Junction Fire, started on state Route 17 near mile marker five. The highway is currently closed in both directions between mile markers two and six, and motorists are being directed onto state Route 9 as an alternate route, according to an alert from the Utah Department of Transportation.

The area is currently under a wind advisory from the National Weather Service. South winds of 25-35 mph with gusts up to 50 mph is expected in Washington, Iron and Beaver counties until 9 p.m. Monday and from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday. 

Fire officials in Washington County estimate that the Anderson Junction Fire is now 30-percent contained.  The fire began yesterday afternoon several miles north of Toquerville and spread quickly, driven by high winds, low humidity and dry conditions.  The fire had burned about 350-acres as of 9 p.m. yesterday.  Investigators believe the fire was caused by chains dragging behind a vehicle.