Utah Town Evacuated As Heat, Wind And Drought Fuel Wildfires Across The West

Dangerous fire conditions spread across parts of the West over the weekend as wildfires burned in Utah, Arizona and Colorado amid extreme heat, dry air and gusty winds.

By yourNEWS Media Newsroom

A fast-growing wildfire in central Utah forced the evacuation of a small town Sunday as extreme heat, drought and windy conditions fueled several fires across the West.

The Iron Fire, burning in Juab County southwest of Salt Lake City, was first detected Saturday and had scorched 34 square miles by Sunday, authorities said. The blaze remained uncontained and prompted evacuation orders for Eureka, a town of about 1,000 people, as well as people at a nearby ranch.

Authorities said no homes had been destroyed. UTAH Fire Info, a multiagency operation, said firefighters carried out a successful backburn operation to help protect Eureka as crews worked to slow the fire’s advance.

Kelly Wickens, a fire prevention specialist with the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, said the fire was still expanding under drought conditions. Wickens said the blaze was human-caused and remained under investigation.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox visited Eureka on Sunday as crews battled the Iron Fire and several other blazes across the state.

“We knew that there was going to be extreme fire danger, and sure enough we had multiple fires,” Cox said.

The Iron Fire was one of six fires burning in Utah, with containment levels varying by location. Much of the state is experiencing severe to extreme drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, creating conditions that can allow fires to spread quickly once they start.

Fire danger also extended into neighboring Colorado, where the National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for the state’s southwest corner through Monday because of gusty winds and low relative humidity.

In Arizona, a wildfire near Sedona prompted evacuations over the weekend after burning about 300 acres in steep, rugged terrain near Oak Creek Canyon. The fire remained uncontained Sunday afternoon, and residents who had been ordered to leave were still not being allowed back into their homes.

The wildfire activity came as much of the Western United States, from the Rockies to the Pacific coast, experienced above-average temperatures over the weekend. Forecasters warned that hotter weather was expected early in the week, while officials said prolonged heat, dry vegetation and low humidity were increasing the risk of additional fires.

Parts of Arizona and Colorado are also experiencing severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

The heat has already proved deadly. Three hikers died in two separate incidents last week in the Grand Canyon amid extreme temperatures.

Temperatures were expected to continue climbing Sunday across the Southwest, including a forecast high of up to 108 degrees Fahrenheit in Carlsbad, New Mexico.

Wildfire concerns were not limited to the West. In Florida, a brush fire in Miami-Dade County spread across 2,000 acres, or about 800 hectares, on Saturday.