U.S. 395 is back open after several fires between Eltopia and Connell. The fire near milepost 30 created so much smoke the Franklin County Sheriff's Office had to close the southbound lanes until visibility improved.
Firefighters say the conditions made fighting the flames difficult. Chief Mike Harris with Franklin County Fire District #3 says, "We had a small fire burning on the road, but with the winds and the dry conditions we've had all week, the fire quickly took off."
Chief Harris also told us when conditions get dry and windy, the fire danger increases quickly and people should be careful so they don't increase the risk of a fire.