Overview
- The fire that started Monday near Beaver in Fishlake National Forest has grown to roughly 70,992 acres and is 0% contained, according to U.S. Forest Service incident maps.
- Mandatory evacuations and closures remain in effect, State Highway 153 and parts of Fishlake National Forest are closed, and the Lower Lodge and surrounding condominiums at Eagle Point Resort suffered heavy damage.
- Gov. Spencer Cox declared a state of emergency, temporarily barred fireworks through July 5, ordered the state into Stage 2 fire restrictions, and said FEMA will cover about 75% of firefighting costs while a state fire fund is available.
- Forecasters issued a rare PDS red-flag warning for the region with low humidity and gusts up to 50 mph, raising the chance of rapid fire growth, new lightning starts, and post-fire runoff when monsoon rains arrive.
- Officials continue to investigate the cause of the Cottonwood Fire while warning that Utah’s active, human-caused fire season has already produced hundreds of fires and more than 140,000 burned acres, complicating response and recovery for local communities.