Interstate 80 reopens after wind-whipped fire; gusts ahead of storm top 90 mph at Ogden Peak
By APTuesday, March 30, 2010
Interstate 80 reopens after wind-whipped fire
SALT LAKE CITY — Interstate 80 in Utah has reopened after smoke and flames from a wind-whipped fire shut it down in both directions for about three hours.
Utah Highway Patrol spokesman Cameron Roden says traffic began flowing again late Tuesday afternoon near the southern shores of the Great Salt Lake.
A fast-moving fire that broke out earlier in the day scorched 50 to 60 acres and heavily damaged three buildings.
Unified Fire Authority Capt. Clint Smith says firefighters have had difficulty battling the blaze because of fierce, shifting winds from an advancing cold front.
The National Weather Service says that in northern Utah, wind gusts reached 91 mph on Ogden Peak. Winds also toppled a truck in Sardine Canyon, forcing state officials to close that route to high-profile vehicles.
