Hot, dry, and windy conditions are fueling a fast-moving wildfire in Utah, forcing the governor to declare an emergency and restrict fireworks as critical weather across the West gives way to mounting concerns that anything could cause a spark.

Firefighters Face Challenges

Firefighters are facing more challenges on the ground from what fire managers and experts call unprecedented conditions. Air tankers and helicopters were grounded Friday as winds picked up on the Cottonwood Fire, the largest blaze currently burning in the U.S.

Gusts were clocked at 45 miles per hour and humidity levels were in the single digits, leaving crews with few options for slowing the flames, especially as they raced through the treetops. The Cottonwood Fire has severely damaged the Eagle Point ski resort in Beaver County and forced evacuations.

Weather Conditions

A cold front on Sunday will bring winds that could push the fire in new directions before the weather starts stabilizing next week. The smoke pushed mostly east, meaning air quality at popular vacation spots like Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks hasn’t been significantly affected beyond some haze in the Bryce area.

Red flag warnings cover the West, with conditions including low humidity and strong winds triggering warnings across a wide swatch stretching from Idaho to southern Arizona and New Mexico. Some of the forecasts predicted winds of 25 to 35 miles an hour, with the worst conditions expected from northern Arizona into central and southern Utah.

With extreme fire conditions persisting, Rocky Mountain Power has issued a public safety power shutoff watch/warning for areas of central, southern, and eastern Utah through the weekend.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.