Two fires contained in Wanship and Henefer Monday

Photo: Firefighters respond to an agricultural fire that blew out of control on Monday afternoon.

HENEFER, Utah — North Summit Fire District was dispatched yesterday to two separate fires in Henefer and Wanship. Firefighters were able to contain both fires without major incident.

The first fire was caused by a passing train in Henefer. The fire started at about 2:30 p.m. in a low-lying, grassy area next to the railroad tracks along East Henefer Road, Fire Chief Ben Neilson said. Crews were able to contain the brush fire to 1/10 of an acre. 

“It is a bit of a surprise this time of year. The ground is still pretty wet and there was snow about one hundred yards away,” Neilson said.

The next fire started two hours later in Wanship and was the result of an agricultural burn that blew out of control when canyon winds picked up. The fire was off Old Lincoln Highway in a field northwest of the LDS Church. 

“We get a lot of this agricultural burning in that area every spring,” Nielsen said. 

He added that farmers and the general public should be prepared and have water on hand while burning to avoid unintended consequences such as residential structure fires.