Forest Officials Will Allow Lone Peak Wilderness Fire in Utah to Burn

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Forest officials will allow a lightening-caused fire burning in the Lone Peak Wilderness to burn.

The half-acre Silver fire started Friday and will be monitored daily, but there are no plans to extinguish the fire, according to Uinta National Forest officials.

The fire is burning at an elevation of 9,800 feet.

``It's extremely small,'' said Loyal Clark, spokeswoman for the Uinta National Forest. ``It's in some old-growth fir trees and there's quite a bit of down and dead vegetation that's accumulated. The fire is basically burning through all that debris.''

Forest officials revised a plan this year to allow naturally ignited fires to burn within designated areas. The move allows fire to play its natural role in the ecosystem.

The fire could be allowed to burn until it is extinguished by rain or snowfall.

Clark said snow is expected at the fire's elevation early next week.