(The Center Square) – Massive wildfires growing across parts of Utah and Nevada are set to cost taxpayers millions of dollars.
That’s according to estimates for firefighting efforts for blazes such as the Iron Fire. The fire covering parts of Utah, Juab and Tooele counties, near Eureka, Utah, is growing and has burnt 24,284 acres. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, an early estimate of the cost is $12 million.
“It’s not going to be cheap,” Kayli Guild, Utah Fire Prevention communications coordinator, said.
“It’s going to be totally based on what sort of resources are needed or used. When you start bringing air resources into different incidents, you know it definitely bumps the cost, as well as when you put a team on a fire,” Guild told The Center Square on Monday.
The fire was discovered on Saturday, and 0% has been contained. Utah Fire Info declared the fire to be human-caused.
Guild confirmed that the town of Eureka, with a population of over 600 people, remains under evacuation and that outbuildings and recreational vehicles have been destroyed in the Broad Canyon area of Utah County.
According to InciWeb, an interagency website, 402 personnel are assigned to the fire.
Also in Tooele County, the Hastings Fire was discovered Saturday and declared to be human-caused. The fire has grown to 12,849 acres and has a 0% containment, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
Guild said air resources have been deployed for both the Iron and the Hastings fires.
“More than 75% of Utah’s wildfires are human-caused, which means prevention starts with all of us,” Utah Governor Spencer J. Cox said on X.
In Nevada, the Grapevine Fire has grown to burn 13,196 acres and is 0% contained, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. The fire was discovered on Wednesday and declared to be naturally caused. The fire is south of Caliente in Nevada’s Lincoln County.
Just west of the Grapevine Fire, the Kane Springs Fire also burns in Lincoln County. This fire also began on Wednesday, has burnt 13,297 acres, and is 20% contained, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
The center estimated costs to be $2.5 million for the Grapevine Fire and $2 million for the Kane Springs Fire.
The Center Square reached out to the Nevada Division of Forestry, but no one was available for an interview on Monday.
