This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The Tokawana Fire had destroyed eight homes in Wyoming and was burning about a mile from the Utah border Saturday night, fire officials said.
Firefighters worked Saturday to improve lines around the 1,252-acre wildfire, which has reached the north end of the Meeks Cabin Reservoir, spokesman Brett Haberstick said, but officials anticipate they'll be able to keep the fire in check before it reaches Utah.
As of Saturday night, Haberstick said, the fire was 5 percent contained, but he expected that number to increase Sunday.
The 250 firefighters on the scene had done "really good work" putting in high-quality lines around the fire, Haberstick said.
Residents have been evacuated from 141 homes in the area, eight of which have been destroyed, Haberstick said, but fire officials are ready to "start thinking of how to get residents back in their homes."
Many of the houses in the area serve as second homes to Salt Lake City residents, Haberstick said.
The amount of progress firefighters make will depends largely on the weather, Haberstick said. He anticipates cooler temperatures and isolated storms predicted for Sunday afternoon will help aid firefighting efforts, though the wind may cause the fire to extend farther north, but he hoped the lines created Saturday would hold.
The fire was burning a "large amount" of dead and downed trees, many of which were killed by beetles, Haberstick said, as well as grasses and mixed conifer in the forest.
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