By Janelle Walker
Fire crews battled to keep flames from spreading to the south end of Utah Valley after a fire broke out at Camp Williams just after 11 a.m. Tuesday, July 8.
The fire started after guards, who were doing welding to repair work on one of the base rappelling towers, dropped sparks into the dry fields below.
Flames moved rapidly away from the buildings at Camp Williams and into the surrounding wild land.
Bluffdale fire crews were the first to arrive on the scene and soon called reinforcement crews from Salt Lake and Utah Counties.
Inter-county fire crews, two helicopters and an air tanker battled the dry, hot conditions, trying to gain control as flames spread through the foothills.
'Hot, dry conditions, low humidity, high temperatures and dry grasses are all factors in making this a fast-moving fire,' said Jay Ziolkowski, public relations officer for the Salt Lake County Fire Department.
Ziolkowski said the fire was far from under control as high winds continued to push the flames further south. He estimated the brush fire had already consumed 200 to 300 acres of land.
'Winds in the area are very strong,' Ziolkowski said. 'I estimate them to be at least 15 to 20 miles per hour.'
Crews hoped roads in the area would prove to be natural barriers for the fire, Ziolkowski said. However, strong winds blew flames across roads in the fire''s path.
Smoke filled the sky as the fire spread, creating a hazy cloud over Salt Lake and Utah Counties.
'There is quite a bit of air pollution associated with fires,' said Robert Dalley, manager of the Utah Air Monitoring Center. 'Right now, there is a tremendous visual impact, but the winds are blowing enough to disperse the smoke throughout the air.'
According to Joseph Miner, executive director of the Utah County Health Department, fire smoke is composed of mostly dust.
The potential harm of the smoke depends upon what the fire burns, Miner said.
'The immediate problem with smoke from fires is aggravation of existing problems and diseases individuals may have,' Miner said.