Dangerous fire conditions in the Southwest threaten to worsen fires in Utah, Nevada and New Mexico, putting many communities on alert this weekend.
The National Weather Service warned Saturday that gusty winds and dry air have created an “extremely critical risk” for fire – the agency’s highest threat level – in the Great Basin and Four Corners regions. Dry thunderstorms have brought an additional risk of frequent lightning, which can start fires, while dried-out vegetation helps flames spread and makes containment much more difficult.
THE Cottonwood Fire in Beaver County, Utahnow spans more than 92,000 acres and remains zero percent contained after five days. Low humidity and strong winds accelerated its spread on Friday. Conditions are expected to ease somewhat Saturday, but the fire will likely continue to grow as temperatures and winds increase in the afternoon.
Air quality in the Marysvale area is expected to reach unhealthy levels during the afternoon and evening. Sensitive groups – including children, pregnant women, the elderly and people with heart or lung conditions – should avoid outdoor physical activity.
Alyssa Mason, a spokeswoman for the fire’s emergency management team, said there is no estimate yet for when the fire will be under control. The region’s vegetation has been drying out since March, following record temperatures and record snowpack over the winter — conditions that contributed to the extreme fire behavior, she said.
“Our action plan has not changed. We continue to engage fire where and when we can, with firefighters and public safety as our top priority,” Mason said in a statement.
The fire damaged Eagle Point, a popular ski resort, and forced evacuations earlier in the week. The station owner wrote Wednesday on Facebook that it would be “closed for a considerable time to recover from the disaster”.
Several smaller fires in Utah also caused evacuations, road closures or power outages. The Wild Goose Fire in Millard County grew overnight as fire crews worked to keep the fire from reaching a highway; it now covers 1,000 acres. The Cherry Fire in Juab County, which is more than 19,000 acres, is zero percent contained. The neighboring Iron Fire, straddling Juab and Tooele counties, is 38% contained at more than 40,000 acres.
The National Weather Service office in Salt Lake City issued a “particularly hazardous situation” warning Thursday, a designation reserved for exceptionally rare and life-threatening weather events and a first for the city. Wind gusts of up to 50 miles per hour are expected Saturday.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox has restricted fireworks across the state until July 5, limiting July 4 fireworks to certain areas.
“Nothing about this decision was easy,” Cox said Thursday in a press release. “We are seeing fire behavior that even our most experienced firefighters say they have never witnessed before. This is a temporary measure for an extraordinary year.”
In Sandoval County, New Mexico, the McCauley Springs Fire has been burning since Wednesday and remains zero percent contained at 722 acres. The Jemez Ranger District of the Santa Fe National Forest, where the fire is active, has been temporarily closed to campers and visitors. A YMCA Summer Camp was evacuated on Wednesday.
In Lincoln County, Nevada, the Grapevine Fire is zero percent contained and is approximately 26,000 acres, forcing the temporary closure of Beaver Dam State Park THURSDAY. The nearby Kane Springs Fire is about half contained, at about 17,000 acres.
The Arizona Pocket Fire, which has been burning north of Sedona for more than a week, shows no signs of slowing down.
“The winds are definitely working against us, and we expect to see the same effects as yesterday today, if not accelerated – a little more wind, a little more gusty,” Clyde England, a member of the fire’s incident management team, said during a public press briefing Saturday.
Unless conditions improve significantly, the Arizona utility said it will begin temporary power outage in high fire risk areas around Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon starting at 10 a.m. local time Saturday. Around 8,000 customers would be affected.