Smoke impacts are being seen and felt in the Uintah Basin from a wildfire that is burning in neighboring Carbon County. The Bear Fire, located about 4 miles northwest of Helper, started on Tuesday afternoon near mile marker 228 on Highway 6. As of Wednesday’s evening report, the Bear Fire was estimated at 5,300 acres and had reached Highway 6 near Bear Canyon, closing the highway in both directions. Investigation determined that the fire was started by lightning. “The fire is on the west side of US-6 and one of our primary objectives is to keep it west of US-6,” shared Type 3 Incident Commander Jason Porter. “We’re very concerned about Thursday’s forecast though…We’re expecting wind gusts up to 50 mph…If that happens, it will ground our aircraft and those high winds could also lead to an increase in fire activity.” To stay up to date on the highway closure and alternate routes, visit UDOTtraffic.utah.gov.
