NWS Issues First-Ever Utah Fire Warning as 50 mph Winds Threaten 100-110 Heat Index
Updated
Updated · CNN · Jun 26
NWS Issues First-Ever Utah Fire Warning as 50 mph Winds Threaten 100-110 Heat Index
3 articles · Updated · CNN · Jun 26
Summary
The National Weather Service issued its first-ever “particularly dangerous situation” red flag warning for central and southern Utah on Friday, citing an extreme wildfire threat around the Cottonwood Fire.
Wind gusts up to 50 mph, low humidity and an ongoing Western cooldown are expected to intensify existing fires and make new ignitions harder to control, with officials warning evacuation may not be possible in some cases.
The Cottonwood Fire east of Beaver has burned an area roughly the size of Salt Lake City and remains 0% contained, while the Iron Fire near Eureka has scorched more than 40,000 acres after earlier evacuations.
At the same time, a heat dome is set to spread the summer’s broadest eastern US heat wave next week, pushing feels-like temperatures to 100 to 110 degrees for millions and as high as 115 in some places.