The Bonneville Fire broke out Saturday evening near the mouth of Red Butte Canyon in Salt Lake City and grew to an estimated 200 acres above the University of Utah's medical campus. The University of Utah told everyone on campus late Saturday night to shelter in place and to stay in their room or area.
University of Utah shelter order
The Salt Lake City Fire Department responded to the fire as it spread above the campus. Chad Jepperson said no buildings are threatened and said there have been some voluntary evacuations.
Red Butte Garden closures
The Red Butte Garden's arboretum and the Natural History Museum of Utah were closed because of smoke and guest safety. Officials said firefighters were focusing most on the south end of the fire to keep it from spreading into the gardens.
Roads and trails near Red Butte Canyon
Officials asked the public to avoid the area and not fly drones nearby. Several road closures were in place in the far east portion of the campus, and several hiking trails in the area were closed to the public.
The shelter-in-place order left students, staff and visitors waiting for the next update from the University of Utah, while fire crews worked the edge of the blaze closest to the gardens. What caused the Bonneville Fire was not addressed in the alert or the fire department's update.
