According to Deputy Fire Chief Mike Slater of the Ogden City Fire Department, reports of a grass fire near 12th Street and 500 West came in just before 10 p.m. on Friday. Crews from Ogden and Weber Fire District responded to the blaze, which caused nine junk cars at a local scrapyard to become engulfed as it moved westward.

Due to the wind, embers also traveled south and ignited part of the roof of the Fresenius Medical Care facility at 475 W. 13th St.

“We set our ladder truck up in the Fresenius parking lot. We put the ladder in the air and they noticed that there was some extension into the Fresenius roof,” Slater told the Standard-Examiner. “They quickly extinguished that and evacuated that building as a precaution.”

The fire was contained and workers at the site eventually returned to the building, according to Slater. He also noted that cottonwood trees that had ignited were felled and that the area was monitored over the ensuing days to prevent additional incidents.

“Saturday, the winds picked up, but also there was rain Saturday night, which helped us ensure we didn’t have any embers that moved out of that burned area,” Slater added.

No significant damage was reported from the fire. According to Slater, no determination on what sparked the fire has been made.

“With this dry tinder and these dry conditions, anything could spark it, but it did not appear to come from the rail yard track; it was somewhere deeper in the woods,” Slater said. “We didn’t see anybody there when we got there but, really, we don’t know exactly what happened. … They’re still looking at it.”

Meanwhile, the Morgan County Fire Department was joined by volunteers from the Mountain Green Fire Protection District in containing fires sparked by downed power lines near 700 W. Island Road in Morgan on Friday night. The initial report came in at around 10:20 p.m., according to Morgan County Fire Chief and Emergency Medical Services Director Boyd Carrigan.

Carrigan told the Standard-Examiner that winds of 30-35 miles per hour and more were coming out of the northwest when crews arrived on the scene and that “15- to 20-foot flame lengths” were observed. While the blaze reportedly pushed away from larger structures, it threatened the nearby power station, as well as two sheds and vehicles at a local farm.

The wind eventually caused embers to travel across the river and ignite a separate fire; however, both fires were ultimately contained.

“We did notice that the wind had picked up embers and tossed it across the river, and there was a spot fire on the other side,” Carrigan said. “We had to send resources around the east side, over by the sewer plant. It took about an hour to get it controlled. There was no damage, luckily.”

No injuries were reported in Ogden or Morgan. A social media post from the Mountain Green Fire Protection District stated that it was a “busy night” for area agencies.

In the wake of the weekend fires, Slater advised residents to observe local fire regulations and remain vigilant.

“Fires — they’re human-caused most of the time. So, just be extremely cautious,” he said. “Anything that can cause a spark or has an ignition source has the propensity to cause a bigger fire, and with dry conditions, they move fast. Remember, firefighters are humans. The men and women of Ogden Fire work hard and they’re dedicated professionals, but they’re humans. So, we want to keep them safe and want to keep our community safe.”

Said Carrigan: “We are seeing more fire activity. So, the big message is we’ve got the Fourth of July coming up. … Please check the Morgan County website to see where you can light fireworks and where we have restricted areas.”

He added that early reporting is crucial to quick containment.