- Utah wildfires have burned over 180,000 acres, marking 2026 as a busy year.
- The Cottonwood Fire remains at 0% containment, burning 92,254 acres so far.
- The Iron and Cherry fires have burned 40,881 and 30,766 acres, respectively.
MARYSVALE, Piute — Ground crews continue to try to build a defensive fire line on Saturday to protect communities on the east side of the Cottonwood Fire in Piute County. Meantime, the fire that has already grown to more than 92,000 acres is expected to make another seismic jump in size by the time fire managers assess it overnight into Sunday.
"We're getting these windstorms in the afternoons that are really just pushing this thing" Alyssa Mason, a spokesperson for Great Basin Team 5 said. "(The) air is not as dry, but we're still going to see some more than likely extreme fire behavior out there today."
The fire has already claimed multiple cabins and structures, as well as livestock, impacting families in Beaver and Piute counties. An update Saturday stated that protection crews have located multiple structures within the burn scar that have survived, and they're working to protect those.
An unmanned aircraft system, or UAS drone, has also arrived to help with infrared heat detection and surveying of the fire area. Fire managers said in a statement that "the overall strategy for the Cottonwood Fire is full suppression utilizing the safest and most effective combination of direct and indirect tactics to limit fire growth, protect identified values at risk, and achieve containment as rapidly as conditions allow."
Unhealthy levels of smoke
Meanwhile, business owners in Marysvale are dealing with unhealthy levels of smoke. Amanda Baker, owner of The Prospector Cafe, says many regular visitors to the area have changed their plans with news of the fire.
"It's difficult. It's definitely heart-wrenching," Baker said. "It does put a damper on the tourism and the people that come here year after year, like this is their second home."
Baker says they, along with many of the other businesses in Marysvale, will remain open until they're told otherwise.
"This is third year in a row that we've dealt with the fires," Baker explained. "But you know we just keep pushing through. And you know we do have good support of our town."
People in Marysvale, Junction, and Circileville are being told to be on "ready" status, being able to leave quickly if needed. The American Red Cross set up a shelter Friday at the National Guard Armory in Beaver for evacuees.
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Busiest wildfire year since 2020
More than 217,000 acres have already burned from fires this year, state and federal firefighters reported Saturday. That officially makes 2026 the busiest wildfire year since 2020, surpassing last year's total in half the time.
The Cottonwood Fire reached 92,254 acres by Saturday, burning more than 144 square miles of terrain, according to Utah Fire Info. It says the blaze is still at 0% containment after extreme fire conditions forced crews to disengage and scout new areas to tackle the flames.
The Iron Fire has reached 38% containment, but Utah Fire Info said the fire had burned 40,881 acres of terrain by Saturday morning. The nearly 64-square-mile fire did not make any significant perimeter movements; instead, it mainly burned fuel still within the existing perimeter.
The Cherry Fire, which was reported at approximately 10:30 a.m. on Friday, grew rapidly under extreme fire weather to an estimated 30,766 acres. Utah Fire Info said the approximately 48-square-mile blaze was reported 6 miles southwest of Highway 36. It was combined with the Maple Fire on Friday evening.
More than 1,500 fires scorched nearly 330,000 acres statewide in 2020. Utah's worst fire year on record, in terms of land lost, remains 2007, when over 620,000 acres were burned.
Two new blazes were reported Saturday morning near the Colorado border. According to the Moab Valley Fire Department, the Snyder Mesa Fire at 50 acres and the Jones Canyon Fire at 20 acres are just south of the Colorado River and spreading towards Colorado.
The Wild Goose Fire, which was discovered Friday, grew to an estimated 9,000 acres Saturday afternoon, according to Utah Fire Info. It said the blaze is approximately 1.7 miles from the Sanpete Co. line, and Highway 50 remains closed between Scipio and Aurora.
Contributing: Carter Williams
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