SALT LAKE CITY — A wildfire burning on a Utah military installation quickly doubled in size after the flames jumped containment lines, but officials said Thursday the blaze is moving away from an area where thousands of dud shells pose an explosion danger. The wildfire on the Utah National Guard’s Camp Williams was not immediately threatening any homes, but it created heavy smoke that was visible for miles Wednesday when fire activity increased. The Pinyon Fire also destroyed seven training structures that were part of a mock Afghan village on the camp. The blaze was started by lightning Sunday and has scorched 9.8 square miles. It is 10 percent contained, a decrease from the 40 percent firefighters had reached Wednesday afternoon before the flames crossed containment lines. More than 200 firefighters are battling the wildfire with air support. Firefighters are trying to keep the wildfire contained to within the camp and away from homes to the north in the city of Herriman, fire spokeswoman Kim Osborn said. Although no homes are threatened, the city is on alert to be ready for any evacuations, she said. Osborn said the area around the unexploded shells is secured, and it’s not the main focus of firefighting efforts. Dud shells are rounds that didn’t detonate on impact — possibly because of a manufacturing defect — but still could. The fire was not very active Thursday morning, she said. But it has been coming alive in the afternoons with increasing temperatures and lower humidity, she said. "Afternoon is when we have all that, and that’s when things start popping up that had been smoldering," Osborn said. The wildfire is burning on timber, oak, sage and grass. Other wildfires burning across the state include the Faust Fire northwest of Vernon, which had burned 31 square miles. It’s 25 percent contained and threatening no homes. Two lightning-sparked wildfires in northwest Utah near St. George also were burning. The West Mountain Fire has burned 3.8 square miles and is 95 percent contained. The Atchinson Fire had burned less than 1 square mile and was 55 percent contained.
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