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Posted: 2:04 PM- CEDAR CITY - Wind-whipped fires raced outside of Zion National Park today, scorching more than 8,400 acres and prompting officials to evacuate summer homes northeast of the popular southern Utah tourist destination.
Park spokesman David Eaker said the Dakota Hills Complex blaze consists of two fires, the largest jumping from about 1,200 acres Wednesday to some 7,000 acres by this afternoon. Two smaller wildfires have merged and charred about 1,400 acres.
The spreading flames prompted the park to halt all backcountry permits for hikers, climbers and rappellers.
Eaker said strong winds gusts of up to 20 mph are fanning the fires and making it difficult for crews to contain them.
He said flames have burned past the park's northeast boundary on to private and Bureau of Land Management property. The area is home to summer cabins accessed by the North Fork Road off State Road 9. He did not know if any structures have been burned or how many residents have been forced to flee.
The Kane County Sheriff's Office dispatch said it had no information on evacuees.
Eaker said a few outdoor enthusiasts already in Zion's backcountry were led out by park workers and others not threatened by the flames will be allowed to leave on their own. He said not a lot of hikers venture into the backcountry this time of year because of the frequent triple-digit temperatures.
The fires, sparked by lightning Sunday, is burning in rough terrain accessible only by air. About 30 firefighters flew in to fight the fires Thursday. They are being shuttled in by helicopters. Several single-engine air tankers from St. George and Cedar City also are battling the blazes.
The management team for the fire is expected to be ramped up from Type III to Type II sometime today or Friday. That upgrade means more resources will become available to fight the blazes.
Scott Sticha, a spokesman with the Color Country Interagency Fire Center, said Thursday the National Weather Service has issued a red-flag warning for southwestern Utah, where crews battled several other fires.
The Test Site fire, which caused officials to recommend voluntary evacuations Wednesday of summer homes north of Virgin near the Kolob Terraces section of Zion, was fully contained Thursday after burning one outbuilding.
Sticha said smoke in the region is heavy at times, especially in the evening and early morning.
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