Chopper 5
SALT LAKE CITY — I-80 will be closed between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. from Foothill Drive to Parley’s Summit on Friday as crews continue to fight the 200-acre, human-caused Parley’s Fire.
Kate Webb with the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands says that while fire crews were able to make good progress in their efforts yesterday, the fire is still 0% contained and crews will have a lot of work to do today.
“It looks very quiet this morning. That doesn’t mean that the firefight is over. Crews are still going to be engaged and there’s a lot of work left to do,” Webb told reporters on Friday.
She said firefighters will be working on securing the perimeters of the fire today. Webb says that they will have three helicopters working in the air, supported by six engines and multiple crews on the ground. Due to that response, Webb said the 12 miles of I-80 will be closed for safety reasons.
“We are flying aircraft over I-80 and that’s a hazard. We want to provide for the safety of everyone traveling and the firefighters in the area,” Webb continued.
Currently, there are no injuries or reports of structures damaged. However, evacuations in the Mt. Aire area are still in effect.
Utah Fire says the fire was human-caused and is still under investigation but are asking that anyone who saw a large dark brown dump truck with dragging chains pass through the area on Thursday to contact them at 801-538-5555.
The KSL Traffic Center recommends I-84 near Ogden or Provo Canyon as alternate travel routes.