A rapidly spreading wildfire has burned through 10,000 acres in Beaver County, Utah in a matter of hours, forcing the mandatory evacuation of multiple communities as the state battles several major fires simultaneously across its central region.
The Cottonwood Fire was first reported at 3.36pm on Monday after sparking near milepost 5 on State Route 153, before spreading to Beaver Mountain almost directly east of the town. It quickly grew to 10,000 acres by 10.45pm, according to Utah Fire Info.
The fire started in the Fishlake National Forest on the Beaver Ranger District near Cottonwood Campground, off Highway 153. All residents and visitors from Eagle Point, Merchant Valley, HiLo Estates, Arrowhead Summer Homes and surrounding areas were evacuated on Monday. Residents unable to leave via State Route 153, which has been closed in both directions between mileposts 2 and 25, were directed to travel east into Piute County.
The fire’s rapid growth prompted additional emergency measures. Beaver City announced that the public was not allowed to use the pressurised irrigation system until further notice, because firefighting crews would be taking water from the pressurised irrigation pond. Rocky Mountain Power also reported outages in the area, de-energising power lines to protect equipment from the advancing fire.
A Complex Incident Management Team — Great Basin Team 5, which involves crews from multiple states — was due to take command of the fire at 6pm Tuesday evening. Ground and air resources from local, state and federal agencies have all been deployed to the scene.
The Cottonwood Fire is one of several major wildfires burning across Utah simultaneously. The Iron Fire, burning across Juab, Utah and Tooele counties, had grown to more than 24,000 acres with zero per cent containment as of Monday, having grown approximately 20,000 acres within just over a 24-hour period. The wildfire forced evacuations for the town of Eureka and neighbouring ranches as the fire burned up to the town borders, with winds pushing the flames east toward the town of Elberta.
More than 340 fires had burned over 58,000 acres statewide this year as of Monday, according to Utah Fire Info. The Bonneville Fire near the University of Utah in Salt Lake City stands at an estimated 566 acres, while the Hastings Fire in Tooele County has mapped at 6,000 acres with zero containment, with smoke from that blaze reaching as far as Salt Lake City.
The cause of the Cottonwood Fire remains under investigation. Authorities have urged residents to avoid the area and follow instructions from emergency officials, warning that additional evacuation notices could be issued depending on how the fire develops.
