Utah: Cottonwood Fire reaches nearly 100,000, remains 0% contained

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(L) Photo via: Utah Governor Spencer Cox; X / (R) Photo via: Utah Governor Spencer Cox; X(L) Photo via: Utah Governor Spencer Cox; X / (R) Photo via: Utah Governor Spencer Cox; X

OAN Staff Katherine Mosack
1:30 PM – Saturday, June 27, 2026

The largest fire in the U.S., the Cottonwood Fire, has reached nearly 100,000 acres in Utah and remains 0% contained.

On Saturday, six states, Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah, underwent Red Flag Warnings for dangerous weather conditions after the fire continued growing overnight.

Fire officials issued an update on Saturday that “extreme fire behavior may occur in the afternoon as temperatures and wind speeds increase.” The Red Flag Warning will be in place until Sunday.

As of Saturday morning, the size of the fire was 92,254 acres.

 

The blaze is located near Beaver, Utah, a city of about 4,000 people, and has destroyed more than 100 condos and cabins in the ski resort and surrounding community at Eagle Point. It also forced closures in Fishlake National Forest and other public lands in the area.

“I am standing here looking out my back window and I am watching the flames burn across the face of the mountain range,” Beaver Mayor Matt Robinson said of Beaver Canyon on Monday.

“It’s really sacred ground — to watch it all disappear in a matter of a couple of days is pretty emotional,” he added. “It’s end-of-days-type stuff.”

 

Shane Gadbaw, owner of the ski resort, fled after hearing about the fire.

“On our way out, it was burning around us,” he said., calling the mountain range “a little hidden gem.”

Utah Governor Spencer Cox (R-Utah) called Cottonwood the “most destructive fire in the state’s history” in terms of property loss, though no injuries or deaths were reported.

 

“14 years ago today my own home was evacuated for a wildfire. I stood next to a dear friend as his new home and every worldly possession burned to the ground,” Cox recounted on X Friday night. “I relived those moments today as we experienced some of the worst fire conditions in our state’s history.”

“Winds grounded aircraft and many fires moved too quickly and dangerously to allow for direct attack by fire crews. More evacuations. More property destroyed. It’s as bleak as it’s ever been … and yet there were several miraculous stops and saves,” he continued, referring to the work of 1,000 firefighters.

“Tonight we celebrate the life of our fire crews, knowing they will be ready for another awful battle tomorrow. Please pray for them and for the rains we desperately need,” he concluded.

 

Cox also issued an emergency order on Thursday that effectively bans personal fireworks through July 5th, citing wildfire danger caused by extreme winds and dry weather.

“This is unprecedented,” Cox said. “It means we have to take some unprecedented measures.”

Meteorologist Chase Thomason called the blaze the 4th-largest wildfire in Utah history.

“Please continue to avoid the area, follow evacuation orders immediately if they are issued, and keep Utah’s firefighters in your thoughts as they battle one of the largest fires our state has ever seen,” he stated on X.

The governor has also shared updates over the weekend about other fires in the state, including Wild Goose Fire in the Great Basin, which also remains 0% contained.

As of Saturday afternoon, there are 10 large wildfires across Utah.

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