This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A southern Utah wildfire had blackened slightly more than 2,500 acres by Wednesday, but crews reported "good" progress in closing containment lines around the flames.
The Roundabout Wildfire — burning in cheat grass, brush, pinyon and juniper about 20 miles northwest of Cedar City — was 50 percent contained as of late afternoon, according to Mike Melton, fire management officer for the Southwest Area Office of the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire & State Lands.
Dozens of firefighters, assisted by fire-retardant laden air tankers and water-bearing helicopters, continue to battle the fire in steep, rugged and hard-to-access terrain.
Much of the state remained under a "Red Flag" wildfire danger advisory into Wednesday evening, with dry windy conditions posing more worries for fire managers. Gusts of 30-40 mph were expected.
Melton said the Roundabout fire, which began Monday and is believed to be human-caused, continued to spread in flaming fits and starts along the sparsely populated expanse of Bureau of Land Management and state grazing acreage.
No injuries nor structural losses had been reported.
However, Melton said authorities had asked the public to avoid the Kern River Pipeline Road, the Lost Springs Road and the Horse Valley Road.