ST. GEORGE — A lightning strike sparked a brush fire near the Utah-Arizona border Monday evening.
St. George Fire responded to the fire at approximately 7:30 p.m. just north of the southbound Interstate 15 entrance to the port of entry inspection station.
The fire ignited when lightning struck a large power pole in the area, St. George Fire Battalion Chief Ken Guard said.
The fire burned through about ⅛ of an acre of dry brush as about a half dozen firemen doused the flames with hoses attached to brush trucks and an engine.
The firefighters had the active flames out within about 20 minutes of the initial call and then put out the remaining smoldering spots within less than an hour.
No structures were threatened by the fire.
Guard said the lightning danger was minimal to the firemen working at the scene, but they were nonetheless being cautious to watch out for additional strikes as heavy rain began to pour down on the blackened vegetation.
“You never know with lightning,” he said. “It’s a force of nature, and anything could happen.”
Even with the recent rainstorms in the region, Guard said fire danger is still high as temperatures soar and dry vegetation prevails.
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A brush fire smolders near the Utah-Arizona border, St. George, Utah, July 30, 2018 | Photo by Joseph Witham, St. George News Firefighters respond to a brush fire near the Utah-Arizona border, St. George, Utah, July 30, 2018 | Photo by Joseph Witham, St. George News A firefighter responds to a brush fire near the Utah-Arizona border, St. George, Utah, July 30, 2018 | Photo by Joseph Witham, St. George News St. George Fire Chief Robert Stoker douses a brush fire near the Utah-Arizona border, St. George, Utah, July 30, 2018 | Photo by Joseph Witham, St. George News A firefighter responds to a brush fire near the Utah-Arizona border, St. George, Utah, July 30, 2018 | Photo by Joseph Witham, St. George News
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