Utah wildfire grows to 92,000 acres amid dangerous weather conditions

The Cottonwood Fire burned about 92,000 acres near Beaver in Beaver County and remained 0% contained as rare red flag conditions pushed flames across southern Utah. It began Monday afternoon and had already become the largest wildfire currently burning in the United States.

The National Weather Service in Salt Lake City issued a particularly dangerous situation red flag warning Friday, a rare alert driven by high winds, very low humidity, hot temperatures and extremely dry fuels. It was the first formal PDS red flag warning in that Utah region and the first in the Salt Lake City office’s history.

For firefighters, that combination meant fast flame spread, unstable fire behavior and a much greater chance that new starts could flare beyond control. Federal and local firefighting agencies defended homes, secured evacuation corridors and kept watch on multiple fronts at once as Utah entered the heart of fire season.

Mandatory evacuations were ordered for homes and campgrounds, and a highway in the mountainous area was temporarily closed as the blaze moved through steep terrain. Fishlake National Forest closed campgrounds and other areas, while smoke in Marysvale blocked out the sun and ash rained down. Air quality across the region was unhealthy.

The fire severely damaged or destroyed Eagle Point Resort. Governor Spencer Cox said the blaze could become the most destructive and costly fire in state history.

Critical fire weather was expected to persist into Sunday, and extreme wildfire behavior was expected through the weekend. Utah officials declared a drought emergency in May 2026.