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A 5,000 acre wildfire is threatening Box Elder County homes and has led to I-84′s closure

Related Topics: Threat, County, Wildfire, Idaho, Acre, Fire

A lightning-sparked wildfire was moving quickly through dry vegetation in Box Elder County on Friday, getting close enough to Interstate 84 that state officials shut down a 32-mile stretch of the road between Tremonton and Snowville near the Idaho border.

Officials announced the roadway was closed in both directions about 7:30 p.m. It’s unclear when the highway will reopen, and a fire spokesman told The Salt Lake Tribune it’s possible that wind could propel blaze — dubbed the Goring Fire — across the road.

Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands spokesman Jason Curry said the fire grew rapidly, burning at least 5,000 acres Friday.