Utah wildfire forces evacuation of small town as extreme heat roasts US west | Utah
Extreme heat and dry, windy conditions are fueling numerous wildfires across the western United States, including a massive blaze in Utah that forced the evacuation of a small town; The hot weather forecast increases the risk of more fires next week.
The Iron fire in Utah’s Juab County was first detected Saturday and has so far blackened more than 2,000 acres. The fire, about 70 miles (113km) southwest of Salt Lake City, forced the evacuation of Eureka, its population of 1,000, and people living on a nearby farm.
No homes were lost, and Utah Fire Info, a multi-agency operation, said in a post on X that firefighters conducted a successful operation to protect the town.
Kelly Wickens, fire prevention specialist with the Utah division of wildfires and state lands, warned that fire continues to grow in drought conditions. Wickens said the fire was human-caused and the investigation is ongoing.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox visited the town on Sunday. “We knew there was going to be extreme fire danger, and of course there were multiple fires,” Cox said.
The iron fire was one of six fires burning at varying levels of control in Utah.
In neighboring Colorado, the southwestern corner of the state was under a red flag warning from the National Weather Service until Monday due to high winds and low relative humidity.
A wildfire prompted evacuations near Sedona, Ariz., over the weekend and burned nearly 300 acres (120 hectares) of steep, rugged terrain near Oak Creek Canyon. The fire was not under control as of Sunday afternoon. Previously evacuated residents were still not allowed to return to their homes.
The fires are occurring as warm air blankets parts of the American Southwest and extreme temperatures are on the horizon.
Much of the western United States, from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific coast, experienced above-average temperatures this weekend, with even warmer weather expected early next week. The Los Angeles Times writes that parts of Southern California are under an extreme heat warning in the coming days reported.
Meanwhile, officials I also warned It was stated that prolonged periods of dry, hot weather and relatively low humidity increase the risk of fire danger.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, much of Utah is experiencing severe to extreme drought, while parts of Arizona and Colorado are experiencing severe drought.
Extreme heat caused the deaths of three hikers in two separate incidents in the Grand Canyon last week. Temperatures were expected to rise across the Southwest on Sunday, with a forecast for up to 108F (42.2C) in Carlsbad, New Mexico.
Meanwhile, a brush fire spread across 2,000 acres (800 hectares) in Florida’s Miami-Dade County on Saturday.
Associated Press contributed reporting
