(Originally published at 11:59 a.m. MDT August 30, 2019)
A fire that started after midnight Friday east of Bountiful and Centerville, Utah forced the evacuation of 400 homes. The blaze was named Gun Range Fire because it is near the Lions Gun Range in Bountiful. Most wildfires are named after the location where they started.
By 10 a.m. evacuations in Centerville had been lifted but the order in Bountiful was still in effect. Fire officials estimated the fire had burned 150 to 300 acres, destroyed three homes, and damaged five others. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Kim Osborn, the public information officer for the Northern Utah Interagency Fire Center said several hotshot crews, air tankers, and helicopters are on the scene.
Other fires that have occurred recently in that general part of Utah include the 6,451-acre Goose Point Fire, the 7,900-acre Shelter Pass Fire, the 450-acre Alaska Fire, and the 167-acre Round Peak Fire — all since July 17, 2019.
Very Large Air Tanker dropping on the #GunRangeFire pic.twitter.com/yEYeg4sleQ
— Utah Fire Info (@UtahWildfire) August 30, 2019
How much containment is on the gun range fire
At Wildfire Today we almost never post the containment percentages that are distributed to the public. Generally the numbers are very unreliable and arbitrary and can be influenced by factors other than the actual containment of the fire. Here is the official definition of Containment, according to the National Wildfire Coordinating Group: