SALT LAKE CITY — Utah has declared a state of emergency as the largest active wildfire in the United States continued to spread through forested areas of southern Utah amid high winds, low humidity and extreme heat, prompting evacuations, damaging property and straining firefighting operations, state and federal officials said late Friday and Saturday.
The emergency declaration comes as authorities warn that exceptionally dry conditions and strong winds have created dangerous fire behavior across much of the U.S. West. The Cottonwood Fire, burning in and around Fishlake National Forest, has become the nation's largest active wildfire, while the National Weather Service issued a rare "Particularly Dangerous Situation" Red Flag Warning for parts of Utah because of the heightened wildfire threat.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox announced the emergency declaration and imposed temporary statewide restrictions on consumer fireworks through July 5, saying the measures were intended to reduce the risk of additional human-caused fires as firefighting resources remain under pressure. State officials said the order provides additional authority to coordinate emergency response efforts and support local jurisdictions.
"This year is different," Cox said while urging residents to avoid setting off fireworks during the current fire danger, according to remarks released by state officials and reported during the governor's wildfire briefing.
The U.S. Forest Service said strong wind gusts, critically low humidity and rugged terrain have complicated suppression efforts, at times preventing aircraft from operating safely. Fire crews have continued working on the ground as shifting weather conditions fueled rapid fire growth. Officials also reported damage to the Eagle Point ski resort and nearby summer cabins, while evacuation orders and warnings remained in effect for several communities.
Authorities said the Cottonwood Fire began earlier this week and expanded rapidly under extreme fire weather conditions. The exact acreage continued to change as mapping operations were updated, with officials reporting that the blaze had grown to well over 100 square miles and remained largely or entirely uncontained, depending on the latest operational update.
The wildfire is one of numerous large fires burning across the western United States, where red flag warnings have been issued in several states. National fire officials said nearly 3 million acres have burned across the country so far this year, exceeding the recent 10-year average for the same period.
As of Saturday, firefighters remained engaged on the Cottonwood Fire while officials said weather conditions could improve slightly at times but warned that increasing afternoon temperatures and winds could continue to produce extreme fire behavior.
