Winds hamper crews as fast-moving fire in Utah, the largest in the US, burns through forests
MARYSVALE, Utah (AP) — The largest fire in the United States is marching through deep canyons and over steep mountainsides, blackening an already parched landscape in Utah as residents on the flanks of the fire watch as smoke billows each afternoon.
The Cottonwood Fire already has severely damaged the Eagle Point ski resort and destroyed summer cabins in sparsely populated Beaver County. Campgrounds in Fishlake National Forest are closed, while other public lands in the area have been closed as a precaution.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, in a social media post, asked for prayers for firefighters and “the rains we desperately need.”
“It’s as bleak as it’s ever been ... and yet there were several miraculous stops and saves,” Cox said, referring to the work of the hundreds of firefighters assigned to the blaze.
They are among the crews that have been pouring into Utah as more wildfires in the arid state gain steam thanks to consecutive days of what forecasters call critical fire weather, or dangerously low humidity levels, warm temperatures and gusty winds.
Utah is coming off a record-low snowpack and the warmest winter on record, which helped to elevate the fire danger. Much of the West is grappling with similar conditions, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
Nationally, nearly 3 million acres have burned since the start of the year, pushing the U.S. ahead of the 10-year average. From Alaska to Florida, crews were busy Saturday working to corral dozens of fires, including three dozen that were classified as large and uncontained.
Air tankers and helicopters took to the skies Saturday, hoping to put a dent in the flames before afternoon winds kicked up again. On Friday, they were grounded because of deteriorating weather conditions.
The fire ballooned to more than 144 square miles (373 square kilometers). Roughly 1,300 residents in the towns of Marysvale, Junction and Circleville remained on notice that they should be prepared to leave if conditions worsened.
The blaze prompted Cox to declare an emergency, and the state on Friday restricted fireworks, saying Utah is experiencing one of the most severe wildfire seasons in recent history and that the recent blazes are stretching the state’s wildland firefighting capabilities.
“These fires are starting closer to homes and communities,” said State Forester Jamie Barnes. “One human-caused fire is one too many.”
The cause of the fire hasn't been determined, but state officials say the majority of those sparked so far this year have been human-caused. Forecasters also note that lightning strikes around the West have resulted in fires.
Elsewhere in Utah, evacuations were in place for several small communities southwest of Salt Lake City, including in Eureka, with a population under 1,000, and the Vernon Reservoir area, officials said. Highways running through the area have been closed.
Two wildfires in that area — the Iron and Cherry fires — cover a combined 112 square miles (290 square kilometers), fire officials said.
The towering column of smoke from the Cottonwood Fire was visible Friday from miles away, even from Bryce Canyon National Park to the south and Colorado to the east. It was hazy Saturday as the smoke drifted to the northeast, leaving air quality in places like Bryce and other popular vacation spots to the south unaffected.
Bob Miller was staying at an RV park in Marysvale and was prepared to evacuate if needed. He said the evenings especially have been smoky, but he and his family have still been able to enjoy the area, where they have vacationed for almost two decades.
“It’s still gorgeous,” said Miller, who lives in Yucaipa, California.
“Fires happen around here. When you come every year, you kind of get used to that,” Miller said.
“After you’ve been through burned areas a few times, you look at it and you understand what nature can do,” he added.
The warnings stretched from California to Arizona and New Mexico, where firefighters were battling several blazes amid windy conditions. That included a new fire reported south of Grand Canyon National Park.
Authorities said the flames were moving away from Grand Canyon Village and the nearby community of Tusayan. The area also was without power as the utility serving the area initiated a safety shutoff earlier in hopes of lessening the wildfire risk.
Park visitors could still purchase park passes at entrance stations as long as backup power systems remained operational, but park officials said people should come prepared. That meant downloading maps before arriving and ensuring that phones and other devices are fully charged.
Power shutoffs have become more common in the West as wildfire risk has expanded. It's usually a last resort after utility forecasters weigh factors like sustained wind and gust speeds, available fuels and topography.
With extreme fire conditions persisting in Utah, Rocky Mountain Power also shut off power lines serving Beaver County and other areas.
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Montoya Bryan reported from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Associated Press writers Jamie Stengle in Dallas; Julie Carr Smyth in Columbus, Ohio; and Ed White in Detroit contributed.
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