Silver King Fire now 83% contained, decreases in size to just over 18K acres

MARYSVALE, Utah ( ABC4 ) — Firefighting efforts on the Silver King Fire — just west of Marysvale in southern Utah — continue to make progress, with officials saying the blaze was 83% contained on Saturday.

According to a Saturday morning update from Utah Fire Info, the fire had decreased in size compared to recent days, to about 18,074 acres.

“Good progress is being made in the repair of dozer lines,” Utah Fire Info said Saturday. “Work continues to improve forest roads by grading and removing hazardous trees.”

The update said crews are continuing to work on the fire line in the Bear Hollow area, and firefighters are also monitoring and patrolling other areas of the fire’s perimeter.

Officials also explained that weather conditions affect how quickly fires can spread and how hot they are. Utah Fire Info said the Silver King Fire did not burn all the vegetation within the area of the wildfire.

“The Silver King Fire burned in a mosaic pattern that will benefit the landscape of the Fishlake National Forest in many ways,” Utah Fire Info said. “It will, among other things, improve wildlife habitat, enhance Aspen regeneration, reduce excess plant litter, and slow encroachment into natural meadows.”

With the expected weather conditions over the weekend , Utah Fire Info said it expected “low to minimum fire behavior and limited fire spread.”

The Silver King Fire was first discovered on July 5, and was believed to have been caused by lightning. As of Saturday, about 332 personnel had been appointed to fight the fire.

According to Utah Fire Info, the Burned Area Emergency Response team arrived at the fire and was expected to begin “soil burn severity mapping” soon after.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah.