Utah Fire, 10% Contained, Threatens Farms

At 469 Square Miles, Milford Flat Fire Is The Biggest In State History The Milford Flat fire in Utah had burned 311,000 acres -- adding 11,000 acres of scorched earth on Monday and leaving a path of devastation in its scorched wake -- at least two deaths, more than 300 structures threatened, and agricultural land badly damaged. The fire was just 10% contained by Tuesday morning. It had already burned one home, and threatens about 330 others. Another lasting impact from the fire could be damage to farmland, and ranchers are selling off cattle for fear there will be no grassland left to graze. Some cattle have died in the fields, as the flames encroached into fenced-off pastures. The Milford Flat fire in Southwestern Utah was started by a lightning strike on July 6, and fast winds whipped it into a fast-moving frenzy in the days since then. It has consumed sage brush, grass and juniper — along with one home — as it has progressed north-northeast. No one has yet been evacuated, It's one of seven fires burning in Utah, and one of dozens that have erupted in the West in recent days, as a record heat wave exacerbated unusually dry conditions. It's one of 52 fires burning in 13 states -- and thunderstorms threaten to ignite more fires today. The stage for these fires was set this winter, when little snow fell, leaving relatively little moisture flowing out of mountain snowpacks into the valleys. Weeks without significant rainfall contributed, and the scorching heat in recent days only aided and abetted. Your Photos Wildfire photos from around the world submitted by The Daily Green community to the Weird Weather Watch photo blog Utah Fire Utah Fire 2 Utah Fire 3 Tahoe fire, Sierra sunset Lake Tahoe FireGriffith Park Brush Fire Athens Wildfire Florida on Fire Related Stories Thunder & Lightning Prompt Red Flag Fire Warnings Colorado Wildfire Destroys Home Utah Fire Is The Size Of Los Angeles Utah Fire, At 469 Acres, Is Biggest Ever Utah Fire Untamed 52 Fires Burning In 13 States ... And Counting 2007 On Track To Be 2nd Hottest Ever Extreme Weather Is Climate Wake-Up Call Lake Tahoe Fire Draws Disaster Tourists The Drought That Stole July 4 Fireworks Southeast Drought 'Historic And Unprecedented Lake Tahoe Fire Is A Sign Of Global Warming Early, Intense Monsoon Claims 400 Lives Summer Forecast: Hot, With Wildfire World's Largest Lake Is Drying Up