From Gabbie Costello, Community Relations & Public Information Officer
ENOCH, UT— At approximately 4:54 p.m. on Sunday, July 28, the Cedar City Fire Department was dispatched to a reported vegetation fire in the City of Enoch between Old Highway 91 and Interstate 15 near the two water tanks across from Valley Bible Church. The fire, which burned approximately 26.7 acres, was identified by surrounding agencies and locals as the Tank Fire.
Responding apparatus included the Cedar City Fire Department, which had one structure engine, two water tenders, four brush engines, and two command vehicles. The Bureau of Land Management responded with four engines, Forestry Fire State Lands responded with two engines, and Iron County dispatched their dozer, one Type 2-20 person hand crew, and two aircraft. Initially, the Valley Bible Church was threatened, but crews worked quickly to stop the forward progression and save all surrounding structures.
Local law enforcement, including the Enoch Police Department, Utah Highway Patrol, and the Iron County Sheriff’s Office, assisted in multiple traffic control efforts. Interstate 15 southbound was shut down to a single lane, and Old Highway 91 was completely shut down while firefighters worked to address the blaze.
“We are fortunate that crews were able to stop this fire quickly,” said Cedar City Fire Chief Mike Phillips. “With the recent fires in our area and the red flag warnings, the weather is not in our favor.”
Firefighters believe the fire to be human-caused, but it is still under investigation. As a reminder, many areas in Utah are experiencing Red Flag Warnings, including Iron County. It is important to ensure all vehicles and equipment are in working condition, including tires, chainsaws, lawnmowers, etc., and that personal fireworks are not being used anymore or illegal open burning.