Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 26
Utah's Cottonwood Fire Scorches 72,000 Acres, Destroying Ski Lodge and Cabins
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 26

Utah's Cottonwood Fire Scorches 72,000 Acres, Destroying Ski Lodge and Cabins

1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 26

Summary

  • Nearly 72,000 acres had burned by Friday as the Cottonwood fire tore through Eagle Point, destroying a ski lodge, condos and rustic cabins in southern Utah.
  • Zero containment and a forecast of hot, gusty weather threatened further rapid growth after a nearly snowless winter and scorching spring left the Tushar Mountains tinder-dry.
  • Gov. Spencer Cox called it Utah's most destructive fire ever in terms of property loss, though no injuries or deaths had been reported.
  • The National Weather Service issued a "particularly dangerous situation" warning for much of central and southern Utah, underscoring deep drought and extreme weekend fire danger.

Insights

With property losses soaring, is Utah facing an inescapable home insurance crisis like California's?
Since most Utah wildfires are human-caused, what will it take to finally change public behavior?
As megafires become the new normal, can utility-led ecosystem restoration projects protect communities across the West?