Utah declares state of emergency, restricts fireworks as US largest wildfire grows
The National Weather Service issued a rare “Particularly Hazardous Condition” warning as dry, windy conditions cause more fires across the Western U.S.
The Cottonwood Fire started Monday in a sparsely populated area of southern Utah. It had spread over more than 290 square kilometers and burned uncontrollably by Friday as strong winds prevented air support, forestry officials said. That blaze, one of six major wildfires burning in Utah, severely damaged the Eagle Point ski resort in Beaver County, forcing mandatory evacuations.
“We’ve got sustained winds of 36 mph that they’re forecasting, and we’ve definitely got winds of 45 mph,” fire spokeswoman Alyssa Mason said. “So there’s been a huge increase in fire activity. We’re seeing extreme fire behavior with some hill runs and certainly some detections.”
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The smoke’s advance eastward and northeastward means air quality at popular resorts such as Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks, which are far south of the blaze, has not been significantly affected, except for some haze in the Bryce area. Still, visitors to Bryce posted videos on social media showing the giant cloud in the distance.
Smoke could be seen for hundreds of miles as far as Colorado, with officials warning about 1,300 residents of the towns of Marysvale, Junction and Circleville to be ready to leave if conditions worsened and the fire spread further.
Fireworks will be limited in Utah until July 5
Gov. Spencer Cox imposed temporary fireworks restrictions through July 5, saying “this year is different” as the nation prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary.
For the first time in the office’s history, the weather service in Salt Lake City issued a “Particularly Hazardous Situation” warning for five Utah counties, including the area of the Cottonwood Fire. The rare warning was first used to warn of tornado conditions. A red flag warning has also been issued for most of the state.
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“Now prepare for rapid fire growth,” he said.
A similar “dangerous situation” warning was issued for the 2025 Palisades Fire in Los Angeles.
While the cause of the Cottonwood Fire is unknown, Cox’s order noted that most of the state’s fires so far this year have been caused by humans.
The governor’s order gives Barnes the authority to restrict or ban fireworks displays in Utah’s cities and towns, rather than leaving those decisions up to communities.
Wildfire danger causes concern in West
Red flag warnings, which mean conditions such as low humidity, high temperatures and strong winds could pose an extreme wildfire risk, went into effect Friday and spread from Idaho to southern Arizona and New Mexico.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, much of Utah is already experiencing severe to extreme drought; Parts of Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico are experiencing severe drought.
Even in Florida, where there have been numerous brush fires, officials are urging people to skip personal fireworks and instead leave the pyrotechnics to professionals who organize carefully planned displays.
In Utah, federal land managers closed public lands near the Cottonwood Fire as a precaution, and in New Mexico, forest officials closed campgrounds and trails near a wildfire burning in the Jemez Mountains.
Nearly 3 million acres have burned across the country since the beginning of the year, putting the U.S. ahead of the 10-year average. The National Interagency Fire Center said firefighters were making progress in containing fires from Alaska to Florida.
