SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Several wildfires are burning in Utah amid hot, dry conditions and with most of the state mired in extreme drought.
The largest blaze is one that started Tuesday in central Utah near Price that was about 3 square miles (8 square kilometers) as of Wednesday morning, according to the Web site utahfireinfo.gov.
A fire in northern Utah near East Canyon State Park had grown to about 1.3 square miles (3.4 square kilometers) and forced the evacuation of two families. It was started Tuesday morning when a track hoe hit a rock, officials said.
Hot and windy conditions were forecast for much of the state Wednesday.
Tuesday, Republican Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said this is the state’s worst drought in decades and announced the state had issued a fireworks bans for all state lands and unincorporated private lands to reduce the risk of wildfires.
