The lightning-sparked wildfire burning in central Utah's Twitchell Canyon grew to 21,000 acres Thursday afternoon, but crews expected to begin getting the upper hand as additional resources were brought to bear.
The blaze, which began as thunderstorms moved through the region July 20, continued to scorch swatches of conifer and shrub lands about 7 miles east of Manderville Reservoir. However, more than 200 firefighters were on the lines late Thursday, and another 40 were expected to join the effort by nightfall, said Forest Service spokeswoman Jesse Bender.
Bender said a fleet of five water- and fire-retardant-bearing helicopters were making drops on the flames, which in many places were difficult to reach on the ground because of the steep and rugged terrain of Fishlake National Forest.
Meanwhile, the Utah Highway Patrol kept Interstate 70 open, which had been closed off-and-on earlier in the week, though traffic was periodically limited to one lane.
Bender said firefighters did not have an estimated time for containment, because portions of the blaze continued to be allowed to burn as a "resource management tool" -- in other words, to clear out old growth and forest-floor level fuels in order to prevent future, large-scale conflagrations.
However, fire managers hoped to have the fire hemmed in before expected weekend winds make their task even more difficult. On Thursday, crews focused much of their attention on securing the eastern flank of the blaze, located roughly along Mill Creek canyon.
In addition to what was expected to be a firefighting army numbering nearly 250 by Friday morning, the Twitchell Canyon fire effort also has air tanker planes, bulldozers and nearly a dozen fire engines in action, Bender said.
Castle Rock Campground remains under a voluntary evacuation, and some roads and trails remain closed:
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