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UPDATED: Fire burning near Three Corners thought to be human-caused

Map showing the Bender Mountain Fire at more than 4,100 Thursday morning.
Utah Wildfire Info Map

Editor’s note: Arson is no longer suspected as the cause of this fire, and this story has been updated to reflect this information.

A wildfire burning near the Three Corners — the Utah-Colorado-Wyoming border — has grown to more than 4,100-acres. Several media reports originally suspected that the fire may have been one of several human-caused fires started along Utah highways, but on Friday, Sept. 7 officials said that the fire was unrelated.

The fire, dubbed the Bender Mountain Fire, was reported as 10 percent contained on Wednesday, Sept. 5.



According to Wyoming’s Sweetwater County Fire Warden Mike Bournazian, Sweetwater County crews responded shortly before midnight Sunday in the Clay Basin area, where the wildland fire was burning east of Highway 191 in the area of the Utah State line, about two and a half miles south of where the three corners of Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado meet.

The Bender Mountain fire burning near the Three Corners area.



The fire started in Utah and grew within 24 hours to more than 2,500 acres, burning in various fuel types. The BLM reports the fire is human-caused and is under investigation.

No evacuations have been ordered, and no structures are threatened.

The fire is being managed as a type 3 incident with 12 engines, one water tender, two bulldozers, five crews, and various aircraft on the scene working to contain the fire.


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