Bulldozers on main attack in Utah's largest fire

KANOSH, Millard County — Bulldozers are the main attack tool today on the state's largest-ever wildfire, which was measured this morning at 80 miles from north to south and as wide as 25 miles from east to west.

The approximately 75 ranchers whose cattle was affected by the blaze, or is still threatened, are salvaging herds as quickly as possible and looking for water and feed.

While the dozers were cutting firelines on the extreme northern and southern ends of the fire, ranchers and politicians got updates at the main fire camp in Kanosh at 11 a.m.. So far, the fire has burned 329,100 acres.

The group included county commissioners from Beaver and Millard counties, three state senators and representatives of Utah's congressional delegation. The Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and state agriculture department are also key players in both battling the fire and handling the aftermath.

Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., is seeking emergency relief from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. FEMA has also promised aid.

State Forester Dick Buehler said at one point the fire was spreading so fast a firefighter driving from Cedar City was pacing the spreading blaze at 65 mph. "We actually had rabbits that were catching fire and running across the road and spreading the fire," he said.

Weather is the biggest concern today, with winds and dry lightning expected to complicate firefighting efforts later in the day. Lightning started the fire Friday.

Buehler said the extreme northern and southern ends of the fire are the most vulnerable. Crews worked to widen roads as a firebreak near Clear Lake on the north and northwest of Beaver on the south.

Rowdy Muir, the fire's managing coordinator, he doesn't expect the fire to threaten Beaver. He expected the number of firefighters on this blaze would reach 700 in a day or two. He said he has a budget of $12 million to fight the fire if it takes that much, although he would like to get the blaze out for under $5 million. "I hope to be out of here in a week," he said.

Muir acknowledged the fire may be the biggest ever in Utah but it isn't the only fire in the state. Fire burning north of Price already has 900 firefighters on hand. It has burned 1,700 acres, much of it near mines and other development.

Muir talks each morning with the chiefs of other area fires, all of whom are competing for limited resources. "I can't say my fire is more important than theirs or theirs is more important than mine."