Firefighters battle intense wildfire in Utah

Smoke bellows from a stand of trees from a wildfire that is burning in the area on June 25, 2017 outside Panguitch, Utah. (Photo by AFP)

A wildfire which prompted evacuations of over a thousand people from hundreds of homes and cabins in the US state of Utah has been contained.

It was “a good day for firefighters, who were able to have success securing areas of particular concern, including the many structures affected by the Brian Head Fire,” Utah wildfire Incident Commander Tim Roide said in a statement on Sunday.

Authorities said better weather conditions helped firefighters secure areas of particular concern, including the many structures affected by the fire.

A wildfire burns through trees and ground cover on June 25, 2017 outside Panguitch, Utah. (Photo by AFP)

About 1,000 firefighters put in barriers against the flames and air tankers dropped fire retardant in anticipation of winds.  They are fighting the blaze, which covers nearly 67 square miles (174 square kilometers).

According to reports by KUTV,  a few Utah families have been allowed back to their homes near the resort town of Brian Head to survey damage and retrieve essential items. Most of them are, however, left waiting.

The fire has also burned in the Dixie National Forest.

Remains of a house after a wildfire moved through the area on June 25, 2017 outside Panguitch, Utah. (Photo by AFP)

“This is a catastrophic fire, no two ways about it,” Garfield County Sheriff Jim Perkins said.

The Utah blaze was accidentally started on June 17 and intensified over the past week due to hot and windy weather conditions.

The National Interagency Coordination Center's latest report showed it was the largest wildfire in the US.