Wildfire smoke expected to blanket southern Utah cities Tuesday

The smoke from two massive wildfires will likely blanket other areas of southern Utah Tuesday including Cedar City and St. George.

Collectively, the Silver King and Deer Springs Fires are burning more than 21,000 acres in central and southern Utah.

The Silver King Fire is burning near Marysvale and has prompted some voluntary evacuations as more than 300 firefighting personnel try to extinguish the flames.

In Kane County, the Deer Springs Fire exploded Monday to 11,000 acres , remaining at 0% contained near Bryce Canyon National Park.

Beyond the flames, wildfire smoke is something experts have been keeping an eye on as these two massive fires progress.

Smoke plumes are forecasted to stick around Utah for the foreseeable future.

On Monday, smoke mainly traveled directly South, beyond Fishlake National Forest and crossing into Page, Arizona.

However, on Tuesday, a change of wind will bring the smoke into cities of southern Utah, including Cedar City, St. George, Beaver and Richfield, the National Weather Service explained.

The smoke is forecasted to make an appearance in southern Utah from the early morning hours through Tuesday afternoon. Then it'll make a comeback later Tuesday night.

Wildfires can be a major source of air pollution in Utah, amplifying ozone in the Beehive State.

Experts recommend avoiding idling and limiting driving on bad air days to decrease ozone and pollution.