Utah declares emergency, limits fireworks as crews battle largest U.S. wildfire

Utah restricted fireworks and declared a state of emergency Friday ahead of July Fourth celebrations as the United States' largest wildfire expanded its reach across more tinder-dry forest, as crews rush to fight new blazes in the arid state. The National Weather Service issued a rare "Particularly Dangerous Situation" warning as dry, windy conditions provided fuel for more fires across the western U.S. The Cottonwood Fire in a sparsely populated area of southern Utah started Monday. It ballooned to more than 112 square miles by Friday, burning unchecked as strong winds grounded air support, forestry officials said. One of six large wildfires burning in Utah, it severely damaged the Eagle Point ski resort in Beaver County, forcing mandatory evacuations. As of Friday evening, Utah had 10 active wildfires burning across more than 144,700 acres, according to the state's wildfire dashboard . The Cottonwood Fire had burned nearly 72,000 acres and is at 0% containment. "We have the 35 miles-per-hour sustained winds that they predicted, and we definitely have the 45 miles-per-hour gusts," said Alyssa Mason, a spokesperson assigned to the fire. "So there has been a great increase in the fire activity. We are seeing extreme fire behavior out there with some crown runs and definitely some spotting." A plume of smoke rises from the Cottonwood Fire, Friday, June 26, 2026, near Beaver, Utah. …