A wildfire ravaging Beaver County, Utah, had spread to more than 70,000 acres by Friday, June 25. Authorities forced residents to evacuate and closed State Route 153 in both directions, prompting new evacuation alerts.
According to Utah Fire Info, the Cottonwood Fire was first reported on Monday, June 22, at 3:36 p.m. a few miles upstream from Beaver Canyon. Officials say the cause of the fire remains undetermined, but due to drought conditions and wind gusts, the blaze has been spreading rapidly. Thousands of acres have been scorched by the flames.
On Tuesday afternoon, just 24 hours after it started, the fire reached 31,000 acres. Early Wednesday morning, it had nearly doubled in size. The National Interagency Fire Center estimated more than 59,600 acres had burned. Utah Fire Info now reports that the fire has burned about 70,992 acres, with 0% containment.
The wildfire has already destroyed the Eagle Point Resort as well as many other buildings and homes east of Beaver. Gov. Spencer Cox calls the fire potentially the most destructive one in state history. As of right now, the NIFC estimates the total cost at $50 million.
As the fire expands, the flames are moving eastward toward Piute County. Residents of Circleville and Junction have been placed on “ready” status in anticipation of a possible evacuation.
Multiple resources have been fighting the flames either from the ground or the air. According to Cedar City News, air tankers have been making round trips from Cedar City Regional Airport to drop retardant on the fire area.
Although the fire has not reached Cedar City, thick, orange smoke blanketed the city on Tuesday evening. The Cedar Breaks mountains were barely visible due to the heavy smoke carrying ashes.
Southern Utah University issued an emergency email on Tuesday, requesting all outdoor activities to relocate indoors due to “Very Unhealthy” levels on the Air Quality Index.
With these conditions, David Heaton, public information officer for the Southwest Utah Department of Public Health, advises people to stay home or to check the air quality before going outside.
He also encourages people to maintain air filters in their homes to reduce the risk of smoke entering. Using recirculation systems in cars* and buildings is recommended to stop drawing in outside air. Air quality updates can be found at map.purpleair.com.
Based on Utah Fire Info’s season summary, the Cottonwood Fire is one of the 355 wildfires reportedly raging across the state of Utah. In all, these blazes have burned more than 140,000 acres.
This story will be updated.
Author: Fanny Felixine
Editor: Michele Fogg
Photos by Fanny Felixine
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