Fast-moving fire in Utah, the largest in the US, spreads overnight, leading to more evacuations
Crews battled single-digit humidity and 45 mph winds as the blaze forced evacuations and left the Eagle Point ski resort severely damaged.
- The Cottonwood Fire, the nation's largest active wildfire, ballooned to more than 144 square miles on Saturday with 0% containment, severely damaging the Eagle Point ski resort in Beaver County.
- Utah state forester Jamie Barnes acknowledged fires are spreading farther and faster "under conditions that defy historical expectations," while meteorologist Jason Straub warned Friday of 48 hours of critical weather.
- Air tankers and helicopters were grounded Friday as 45 mph wind gusts fueled the flames, leaving crews with limited options; Beaver Mayor Matt Robinson stated, "None of us in our wildest dreams... really thought that it would be like this."
- Nationally, nearly 3 million acres have burned this year across 36 large fires, prompting Rocky Mountain Power to issue a public safety power shut-off watch for parts of Utah through the weekend.
- Gov. Spencer Cox implemented temporary fireworks restrictions through July 5 to mitigate risks, while officials urge residents to remain vigilant in forested and grassland areas as the July Fourth weekend approaches.
41 Articles
41 Articles
Utah Declares State of Emergency as Largest Wildfire in US Grows
Utah restricted fireworks and declared a state of emergency Friday ahead of July Fourth celebrations as the United States’ largest wildfire expanded its reach across more tinder-dry forest as crews rush to fight new blazes in the arid state. The National Weather Service issued a rare “Particularly Dangerous Situation” warning as dry, windy conditions provided fuel for more fires across the western U.S. The Cottonwood Fire in a sparsely populated…
Cottonwood Fire uncontained at 92,254 acres
BEAVER, Utah, June 27, 2026 (Gephardt Daily) — What was announced yesterday as the nation’s largest wildfire has grown overnight, up more than 12,000 to an estimated 92,254 acres. The Cottonwood Fire, burning east of Beaver, remains at zero % contained, according to a Saturday morning update from Utah Fire Info. Workers assigned to the fire, which is now in its fifth day of burning, number 873. Dozers and hand crews will work around Highway 153 …
Associated Press News
Residents on notice as fast-moving fire in Utah, the largest in the US, blackens more forestland
The largest fire in the United States has marched through tinder-dry forest in Utah, fueled by conditions that fire managers and experts call unprecedented.
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