The Stookey Fire expanded to approximately 4,000 acres as erratic winds fueled its spread in Tooele County. The growth of the fire led to the closure of Pony Express Road at State Route 36 by the Tooele County Sheriff's Office.
By Sunday evening, southerly winds pushed the fire north toward Faust Canyon in the Onaqui Mountains. Rugged terrain in that area has limited access for firefighters.
Fire crews utilized indirect suppression efforts on both the eastern and western sides of the fire on Sunday. Additionally, firefighters worked directly on flames located in Rock Canyon, supported by engines and aircraft.
No structures were threatened by the blaze. The wildfire was originally discovered east of Vernon just before 5:30 p.m. Friday and had reached an estimated 550 acres by Saturday morning.
Extreme fire behavior within juniper trees created unsafe conditions for crews on the fire line on Saturday, which required aircraft to engage while ground teams reassessed their strategy.
Officials determined that the fire was naturally caused, though specific details are still under investigation.
The Stookey Fire is burning northwest of the Iron and Cherry fires, which burned over 76,000 acres collectively before being contained. Those previous fires resulted in evacuations across Vernon Reservoir, Lofgreen, Silver City, Mammoth, and Eureka in late June.
