Utah's Cottonwood Fire Swells to 144 Square Miles as 45 mph Winds Defeat Containment
Updated
Updated · Salt Lake Tribune · Jun 27
Utah's Cottonwood Fire Swells to 144 Square Miles as 45 mph Winds Defeat Containment
3 articles · Updated · Salt Lake Tribune · Jun 27
Summary
144 square miles — roughly the size of Philadelphia — were burning east of Beaver after the Cottonwood Fire surged again in extreme Utah weather.
45 mph winds, single-digit humidity and intense heat drove the growth, with Gov. Spencer Cox calling them among the worst fire conditions in Utah history.
0% containment left the human-caused blaze the nation's largest wildfire, after it destroyed Eagle Point Resort and other properties in Beaver and Piute counties.
READY evacuation alerts remained in place for towns including Marysvale, while Fishlake National Forest and State Highway 153 stayed closed.
Utah's warmest winter and persistent drought have deepened statewide fire risk, helping fuel the Cottonwood fire and other large blazes.