The 24,600-acre blaze jumped the road Sunday and burned through thick juniper trees on both sides of one of the state’s most important east-west corridors. Crews continued to battle the growing wildfire but allowed traffic back into the region at reduced speeds of 45 mph between U.S. Highway 89 and U.S. Highway 191.
Because of the fire’s swelling, containment numbers dropped from 4 percent Monday to 2 percent Tuesday, according to a news release.
The Coal Hollow Fire, which lightning sparked Aug. 4, has prompted the handful of resident in the remote, rural area to evacuate. More than 600 firefighters worked on the blaze in the Manti-La Sal National Forest.