Highway 6 Closes Due to Bear Fire

The Bear Fire in Carbon County has reached US-6 near Bear Canyon. The highway is CLOSED in both directions. Please use the UDOT Traffic app, follow @UDOTTRAFFIC on Twitter or visit https://udottraffic.utah.gov/ for updated information on the closure and alternate routes.

“The fire is on the west side of US-6 and one of our primary objectives is to keep it west of US-6,” Type 3 Incident Commander Jason Porter said.

On Wednesday night, the Bear Fire is estimated at 5,300 acres with no containment reported. An investigation has determined that the fire was started by lightning.

There are three hotshot crews, 10 engine crews and a helicopter assigned to the fire. The Bear Fire is sharing additional air resources with the nearby Bennion Creek Fire. Those air resources are also being used to assist with initial attack on a new start near Moab, according to Porter.

A Type 2 incident management team has been ordered and is expected to take command of the fire on Saturday.

“We’re very concerned about Thursday’s forecast, though,” Porter said, noting that a dry cold front is expected to move through the area.

“We’re expecting wind gusts up to 50 mph,” he said. “If that happens, it would ground our aircraft and those high winds could also lead to an increase in fire activity.”

Temperatures are expected to moderate on Friday once the cold front passes through.