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KANOSH - Thunderstorms and gusty microburst winds threw a couple of wild cards at firefighters on the huge Milford Flat wildfire Wednesday.
The good news: Strong south winds blew the blaze back on itself on the southeast flank of the fire near Cove Fort, where one structure burned last weekend.
The bad news: The fire, driven by gusts up to 50 mph, jumped a containment line on its north end 15 miles west of Fillmore. The fire grew Wednesday from about 330,000 acres to 340,000 acres, mostly along that north edge.
Neither Fillmore nor any structures were threatened.
"There isn't a lot we can do until the winds die down," said spokesman Mike Martin Wednesday evening.
The forecast called for winds to lighten as the night wore on. But the thunderstorms were expected to return this afternoon.
And these so-called "red flag" days could continue into the weekend, fire meteorologists said.
While the thunderstorms didn't provided enough rain to douse the fire, they did substantially increase relative humidity and should help tamp down fire activity.
Officials were relieved that microburst winds, which produce fierce downdrafts, drove the blaze away from Sulfurdale, Manderfield and Beaver on its south end.
"That's good news, getting it away from those communities," Martin said.
Rowdy Muir, who oversees the Type I fire management team deployed to Kanosh, had earlier vowed to keep the fire from burning southward.
"I don't see any reason this fire gets to Beaver," he said.
The blaze, however, continued to blacken grazing land to the north. Area ranchers say most of their winter range is gone. And the spreading wildfire is only making things worse for their cattle.
Muir had hoped Wednesday would be a turning point as more firefighters arrived along with several more heavy helicopters.
The management team deployed a direct attack on the fire's north end in an effort to save grazing land. Bulldozers were dispatched to cut a wide swath through grass and brush to stop the blaze from
running northward.
By Wednesday evening, that effort appeared to be less than completely successful.
Still, Muir was upbeat.
"If I can save an acre of grazing land, that's what I'm going to do. That's why we're going on direct attack," he said.
There were 467 firefighters on the job Wednesday. Until the forecast changes, night shifts will be deployed as a safety precaution to keep the fire from running unabated.
Federal officials have budgeted $12 million to fight the Milford Flat wildfire. Muir said he wanted to put the blaze out with half of that.
"Taxpayers need to know that," he said. "The cost of large fires is a huge issue."
The way things are going, it could be a long and expensive summer, said Utah State Forester Dick Buhler. There are 14 wildfires burning in the eastern Great Basin alone.
"In my 34 years in this profession, these are the worst fire conditions I've seen," he said. "Extremely low humidity, triple digit temperatures, winds, and very dry fuels."