St. George, Utah • Federal forest managers are starting the lengthy process of restoring the expanse of burned-out forest left behind by a massive wildfire near the ski town of Brian Head in southern Utah.
They will begin by aerial seeding and mulching over more than 8.8 square miles of the forest, according to Dixie National Forest news release. More than 111 square miles across Iron and Garfield counties were consumed by the June 17 wildlife that is believed to have been started by an individual using a weed torch, The Spectrum reported.
The forest could take between one to five years to recover from the fire, Dixie National Forest Public Information Officer Cigi Burton told the newspaper in a previous interview.