Machine Gun Fire Sets Utah City Ablaze

Utah National Guardsmen participating in machine gun practice are being accused of starting a wildfire in the Salt Lake City suburb of Herriman, UT. The fire has consumed about 3,500 acres and displaced nearly 1,500 families.

In a news conference on Sunday, Utah Governor Gary Herbert indicated that the military exercise was planned and that conditions at the outset were relatively normal. However, the problems started when the wind started to pick up. According to a CNN report, wind gusts of up to 50 m.p.h are fueling the blaze.

"Literally, the whole mountainside is on fire," Lt. Don Hutson of the Unified Police Department said at a news conference this morning. "The flames are just coming down the backyards and bumping up against many of the structures on the high part of the mountain."

Ironically, 124 National Guardsmen have been called in to help fight the inferno.