HERRIMAN — On one side of Kevin Williams was a wall of fire. On the other, a steep rocky hillside.
The only place he could go, without wrecking someone's property, was continuing the path he was already making with his D9 bulldozer.
But Williams kept calm as smoke surrounded him in the darkness after midnight. For four to four-and-a-half hours he plowed a fire line with his bulldozer that officials from the Unified Fire Authority, Salt Lake County and Herriman City say was directly responsible for saving 32 homes Monday during the height of the Machine Gun Fire.
"It was scary," Williams said. "The slope was rocky. There's fire on one side and a cliff on the other and there's no way out."
Williams' heroics are being recognized by both the county and Herriman officials. The Herriman City Council was expected to invite him to one of their upcoming meetings so they can personally recognize his efforts.
On Wednesday, Williams returned to Rose Summit Drive and Summit Ridge Circle where he saved so many homes. Some home owners came out and personally thanked him for his effort.
"I wouldn't say I was a hero. I was just doing what I was told to do," he said humbly.
Williams is the lead environmental specialist at the Salt Lake County Landfill. On Sunday, the UFA made a call to the landfill looking for a bulldozer and a driver to help fight the fire.
Williams said he just happened to be the person whose phone was on that day.
He got a bulldozer on a trailer and hauled it from 5600 West and California Ave. to the fire on the south end of the valley.
The terrain he drove his bulldozer over to make the trench was extremely rocky, including areas with large boulders.
"It was dark and it was smoky," he recounted. "I could feel the heat … I was a little scared. I didn't know the terrain."
UFA firefighters tried to light the area in front of Williams as he moved forward with his bulldozer. As he plowed over an area, firefighters would ignite a backburn to go up the mountain.
At one point the wind shifted and a bush next to Williams' bulldozer caught fire but was quickly put out by UFA crews.
As Williams surveyed the fire break he made that night in the dark, even he was pleased with the work everyone did in a "tough situation."
"I really didn't know where I was going. I was just pushing through dirt and brush," he said. "We made it."
"What he did honestly made a huge difference," said UFA spokesman Brad Taylor. "The fire chief is very pleased with his heroic efforts."
Because of the fire line Williams was able to lay down with his bulldozer, "We were able to spread our resources further along the fire line," Taylor said.
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