Utah wildfire forces hundreds of evacuations

Aug. 30 (UPI) -- A wildfire just north of Salt Lake City destroyed three homes and forced the evacuation of at least 400 households hours after it sparked Friday morning, emergency officials said.

A Bountiful, Utah, police officer first spotted the blaze near a residential area about 10 miles north of the capital around 1 a.m., police Lt. Dave Edwards said. The town is home to about 50,000 people.

Edwards said the officer's quick action saved lives.

The city opened multiple shelters, though the mandatory evacuation zone was reduced later in the day, the Salt Lake Tribune reported. The nearby city of Centerville also issued evacuation orders, which were later lifted.

In addition to the three destroyed homes, five others have been damaged. Officials reported no injuries.

As of mid-morning the blaze consumed 160 acres. Firefighters offered no details on when the blaze was expected to be contained.

"Be patient. We're going to get you back in as soon as we can," said Kim Osborn, the public information officer for the Northern Utah Interagency Fire Team.