Utah wildfire scorches 10,000 acres in hours, prompts evacuations

A fast-moving wildfire in Utah’s Beaver and Piute counties began Monday afternoon and burned 10,000 acres over the next few hours, according to the U.S. Forest Service. The blaze, known as the Cottonwood Fire, was 0% contained as of early Tuesday. While the fire was mainly in unpopulated areas, its quick expansion near the town of Beaver prompted evacuation orders for several campgrounds, neighborhoods, and outlying areas east of the town. It is one of several large wildfires burning in Utah and other Western states this week.

The Cottonwood Fire started in the Fishlake National Forest near the Cottonwood Campground, a mountainous area with thick tree cover, according to the Forest Service. Its cause was unknown. Firefighters responded quickly with five air tankers and worked through the night, but weather remained hot and dry with a light wind, aiding the fire’s spread. Officials closed all roads leading to the fire area and ordered residents of Beaver not to use the town’s pressurized irrigation system, as firefighters needed to draw from its reservoir. The National Weather Service forecast thunderstorms and showers in the area on Wednesday and possibly Thursday, which could aid fire suppression efforts.

Utah’s largest wildfire, the Iron Fire, has grown to 31,000 acres and was 9% contained as of Tuesday morning.

Dig deeper: Read Liz Lykins’ Monday report on other wildfires across the West.