Utah declares emergency, limits fireworks as crews battle largest U.S. wildfire

Utah has declared a state of emergency and implemented fireworks restrictions ahead of the July Fourth holiday as the nation's largest wildfire, the Cottonwood Fire, continues to expand across dry forests. The blaze, located in a sparsely populated area of southern Utah, ignited Monday and had grown to over 112 square miles by Friday. Strong winds have hampered firefighting efforts, grounding air support and contributing to extreme fire behavior, including crown runs and spotting.

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We have the 35 miles-per-hour sustained winds that they predicted, and we definitely have the 45 miles-per-hour gusts. So there has been a great increase in the fire activity. We are seeing extreme fire behavior out there with some crown runs and definitely some spotting.

Crews are rushing to combat new blazes in the arid state, where 10 active wildfires were burning across more than 144,700 acres as of Friday evening. The Cottonwood Fire, which has burned nearly 72,000 acres, remains at 0% containment. Officials reported sustained winds of 35 mph with gusts up to 45 mph, significantly increasing fire activity. The National Weather Service issued a rare "Particularly Dangerous Situation" warning, highlighting the dangerous conditions fueling fires across the western U.S.

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this year is different.

The wildfire has severely damaged the Eagle Point ski resort in Beaver County, prompting mandatory evacuations. Residents in the towns of Marysvale, Junction, and Circleville, numbering around 1,300, have been put on notice to prepare for potential evacuation if conditions worsen. The smoke plume from the Cottonwood Fire has been drifting east and northeast, affecting air quality in some areas and visible for hundreds of miles, reaching as far as Colorado.

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under conditions that defy historical expectations.

State forester Jamie Barnes described the fire situation as unprecedented, with fires spreading farther and faster under conditions that defy historical expectations. Residents like Bruce Brown and Alyssa Olsen have lost cabins and cherished family property to the blaze, with Olsen lamenting that "That stuff you can't just build back." Governor Spencer Cox cited the unique circumstances of this year, particularly with the nation's 250th anniversary approaching, in issuing the temporary fireworks restrictions through July 5.

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That stuff you can't just build back.