Utah Governor Spencer Cox has restricted setting off fireworks and declared a state of emergency ahead of the July fireworks season as the nation’s largest wildfire grew much bigger.
Wildfire Situation
The Cottonwood Fire in southern Utah, which started Monday, reached nearly 111 square miles and was entirely uncontained, forestry officials said. One of six large wildfires burning across Utah, it severely damaged the Eagle Point ski resort in Beaver County, forcing mandatory evacuations.
Towering clouds of smoke could be seen for hundreds of miles, all the way to Colorado. The National Weather Service issued a rare extreme weather warning as dry, windy conditions provided fuel for many more fires across the western United States.
Fire Restrictions
Fireworks will be limited in Utah through July 5. Gov. Cox set the temporary fireworks restrictions as the nation prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary, saying “this year is different.”
The National Weather Service in Salt Lake City, for the first time in the office’s history, issued a “Particularly Dangerous Situation” warning for five Utah counties, including the area of the Cottonwood Fire. A red flag warning was issued for most of the state.
Extreme fire conditions were expected, with wind gusting up to 50 mph and low humidity, across Utah’s southwest desert and central and southern mountains, including the area of the Cottonwood Fire.
Original reporting: KTSA News/Talk (San Antonio) — read the source article.
