Abandoned campfire sparks Lake Blanche Fire in Big Cottonwood Canyon

Containment of the Lake Blanch Fire is expected this evening. Officials say the fire cause has been determined to be an abandoned campfire. Photo: US Forest Service

BIG COTTONWOOD CANYON — A small wildfire broke out Friday near Lake Blanche in Big Cottonwood Canyon after investigators say an abandoned campfire was left smoldering in the area.

The Salt Lake Ranger District reported that one squad and an engine crew were on scene, working to contain the blaze. Officials said containment is expected by Friday evening. They asked the public not to call in reports of smoke, as the fire is being actively managed.

The Lake Blanche Fire comes less than two weeks after Stage 1 fire restrictions were put in place across the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest on Aug. 8. The rules are aimed at reducing human-caused fires during Utah’s peak wildfire season.

“The public can help reduce human-caused fires by adhering to the fire restrictions,” the Forest Service said in a statement. Those restrictions include:

• No campfires outside designated areas. Fires are only allowed in permanent metal or concrete fire pits and grates at developed campgrounds or picnic areas. Portable liquid- or gas-fueled stoves that can be switched off are permitted if used in a cleared area at least three feet wide. Fully enclosed metal stoves with chimneys and spark arrestors may be used if cleared of flammable materials within 10 feet.
• No smoking, except inside a vehicle, building, developed recreation site, or while standing in a cleared area at least three feet wide.
• No welding or torch use unless in a cleared 10-foot area with a fire extinguisher on hand.

Forest officials stressed that even small lapses, like leaving a campfire unattended, can spark dangerous situations in Utah’s dry mountain canyons.

The Lake Blanche Fire is the latest in a series of small, human-caused blazes across northern Utah this summer, most of them tied to illegal campfires or equipment sparks.