UPDATE: St. George wildfire contained

ST. GEORGE, Utah — State fire officials say “Washington Assist 01,” which sparked Tuesday in the area of 2500 E. Waters Edge in St. George, is now 100% contained.

Update: #washingtonassist01 is 100% contained. The Local Fire Department will continue to monitor. No structures lost, no injuries, no evacuations. Estimate is at 40 acres. Federal and state resources will be released this evening. Fire is under investigation. #ffslkw pic.twitter.com/OhZUUnEs5P

— Utah Fire Info (@UtahWildfire) May 10, 2023

“We’ll probably have smoldering for the next few days,” St. George Fire Chief Robert Stoker said to KSL TV. “Right now, we’re looking at a cause — possibly a controlled burn. Did have a permit a few days ago.”

A couple of the challenges crews faced Tuesday afternoon were erratic winds and keeping people out of the area.

“Our main concern is life safety, make sure we have everyone accounted for,” Stoker said. “The smoke, when that wind shifts, it can be blinding to our staff and people in the area.”

Robyn Johnson lives on the Virgin River. She was a few miles away when she saw the smoke. She rushed home.

“I looked down and thought, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s where the farm is.’”

She’s relieved no homes burned and no one was injured, but she still feels a little on edge.

“Just watching it, hopefully it doesn’t jump the river,” Johnson said.

The fire burned 40 acres. At its peak, it was threatening about 100 homes, but there were no mandatory evacuations, although some people did leave as a precaution.

#NewStart: Washington County
A new fire in the River Bottoms of Washington County has threatened multiple structures and is forcing evacuations. Multiple resources have been requested and are responding. The State of Utah resources have been requested. More information to follow. pic.twitter.com/2X6wa2FYhd

— Utah Fire Info (@UtahWildfire) May 9, 2023

On July 11, state fire officials confirmed Washington Assist 01 was human caused — debris or open burning.