At a Glance
- The wildfire began Thursday evening on the southeastern edge of Salt Lake City.
- Residents of the Mount Aire community were told to leave their homes.
- Interstate 80 is set to be closed again Friday.
A wildfire burning on the southeastern edge of Salt Lake City forced evacuations and shut down Interstate 80 Thursday night.
Residents of the Mount Aire community, a mix of year-round homes and rental cabins, were told to leave as the fire spread to 200 acres in Parleys Canyon. It was 0% contained, according to Utah's Unified Fire agency.
I-80 reopened about 9:30 p.m. MDT, but Unified Fire said it would close again at 9 a.m. Friday so firefighting operations could continue.
The blaze, known as the Parleys Fire, began about 6 p.m. Thursday, according to the Deseret News. The cause has not been determined.
(MORE: NOAA Raises Hurricane Forecast, Predicts 'Extremely Active' Season)
The Salt Lake City area is experiencing above-average temperatures and low humidity. The city reached a high of 98 degrees on Thursday.
Jerry Brown, who has lived full-time in Mount Aire for five years, told KSL-TV this was the third time he has been evacuated. He was running errands Thursday when the Parleys Fire began and wasn't allowed to go home and get his pets: a dog, Lucy, and a cat, Mr. Tubbs.
"I was worried sick," Brown said. "I’m going, 'Oh my God, my pets are up there.'"
As he waited, a neighbor arrived with Lucy, and firefighters reunited him with Mr. Tubbs.
"Material stuff can be replaced but not those guys," Brown said. "Got my family back."
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
