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Wildfire Incinerates a ‘Hidden Gem’ in Utah’s Mountains
The New York Times • • general
Key Points:
- Trent Owen, a home builder and volunteer firefighter in southern Utah, had been preparing for a severe fire season due to dry conditions following a nearly snowless winter and hot spring.
- The Cottonwood fire in southern Utah rapidly expanded to nearly 92,000 acres by Saturday, destroying a ski lodge, condos, and cabins in the Eagle Point community.
- Governor Spencer Cox described the Cottonwood fire as the most destructive in Utah's history in terms of property loss, though no injuries or deaths have been reported.
- As of Saturday morning, the fire remained 0 percent contained, with forecasts predicting hot, windy conditions and low humidity that could worsen fire danger across central and southern Utah.
- Wind gusts up to 50 mph and humidity levels between 15 to 18 percent are expected, exacerbating the wildfire threat amid ongoing drought conditions.
