Overview
- The lightning-caused Widemouth 2 Fire began on July 27 in the Fillmore Ranger District and has shown rapid, wind-driven growth that pushed the fire north toward Fillmore.
- Official incident updates on August 3 list the fire at 36,438 acres and 0% contained, but local officials and later reports said the active blaze had expanded to roughly 68,000 acres by Monday evening.
- Mandatory evacuations remain in place for Kanosh, Meadow, the Kanosh Band community and parts of Fillmore, with about 25 homes evacuated initially and more residents urged to prepare to leave.
- Incident commanders have prioritized life and structure protection, assigned roughly 370 personnel and requested additional resources while FEMA approved a Fire Management Assistance Grant to cover eligible firefighting costs.
- Fire managers warn the region faces cascading risks from the severe 2026 season, including post-fire flood hazards and heavy smoke on I-15 and I-70 that can disrupt travel and complicate mapping and suppression efforts.