Mile Marker 122 Fire Grows To 350 Acres Near Beaver
Aug 22, 2019, 11:59 AM | Updated: 4:04 pm
BEAVER, Utah – A wildfire started off I-15 Thursday when a trailer carrying carnival rides detached from the truck and rolled into the brush, authorities said.
Utah Highway Patrol Cpl. Andy Battenfield said it’s believed the truck was traveling southbound and rolled to the right.
Deemed the Mile Marker 122 Fire, it was estimated to be at 350 acres at 1:20 p.m.
#MileMarker122Fire pic.twitter.com/G3CxeQVbPT
— Utah Fire Info (@UtahWildfire) August 22, 2019
I-15 was closed in both directions as crews worked to contain the fire.
Northbound lanes have been reopened but officials do not have an estimated time to reopen southbound lanes.
I-15 Northbound Traffic through Beaver County is now opening. Southbound remains closed. #MileMarker122Fire
— UDOT Region Four (@UDOTRegionFour) August 22, 2019
Beaver County Sheriff Cameron Noel said a semi-truck attempted to go around the fire by using an outlying road and then got stuck. Between 15 – 20 cars had followed the truck, and crews had to pull resources from the fire to help the vehicles that were trying to detour but were actually driving into the danger zone.
“It is just a mess,” Noel said.
Multiple resources are being used to battle the fire, including aircraft.
Alternate routes
According to the Utah Highway Patrol, drivers heading south on I-15 should not travel past Fillmore and should instead take US 6 to Delta, then take SR 257 to Milford, and then take SR 130 to Cedar City.
Northbound travelers were told to take SR 20 at Cedar City and travel to Highway 89 to I-70, which took you back to I-15 northbound.
This article will be updated if new information is made available.
