Wildfires restrict Utah's Fourth
Utah limits Fourth of July fireworks due to severe wildfire season and growing blazes
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Utah is heading into the nation's 250th Independence Day with a fireworks ban and its worst wildfire season in recent memory. The Cottonwood Fire, the largest active wildfire in the United States, has burned more than 92,000 acres since igniting June 22 — and remains 0% contained, according to CBS News.
Governor Spencer Cox declared a statewide emergency on June 25 and suspended a 2024 law that had blocked the state from banning fireworks inside city limits. "This year is different," Cox said. "We are seeing fire behavior that even our most experienced firefighters say they've never witnessed before."
A Fire Season Unlike Anything Utah Has Seen
Utah has recorded 335 fires so far in 2026, burning more than 172,000 acres across 10 active large blazes. The Cottonwood Fire alone exploded from a spark near Beaver Canyon in the Fishlake National Forest to over 92,000 acres in just five days. Winds topping 50 mph and single-digit humidity drove what firefighters described as "explosive growth" overnight.
The conditions behind the crisis are stark. Utah just endured its warmest winter on record, leaving vegetation in the south "the driest it has been in the past century," according to KUER. Wildfire expert Phil Dennison of the University of Utah warned that dry grass fires are now carrying embers miles ahead of the main fire lines — a process called "spotting" — turning small ignitions into regional disasters.
Governor Suspends State Law to Impose Statewide Fireworks Ban
For days before the ban, Utah cities were paralyzed. A 2024 state law had stripped the State Forester of power to ban fireworks inside city limits. Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall took to social media to explain why her hands were tied. On June 25, Governor Cox used an executive order to suspend that statute entirely, handing authority back to State Forester Jamie Barnes.
Local leaders welcomed the move. The Salt Lake City Council said it gave communities a "unified front" that local laws could not achieve alone. Some suburban residents pushed back on social media, calling the suspension executive overreach. Under the emergency order, local leaders can still designate approved areas for fireworks under safer conditions, CBS News reported.
Historic 'Particularly Dangerous' Warning Issued for First Time Ever
On June 26, the National Weather Service in Salt Lake City issued its first-ever "Particularly Dangerous Situation" red flag warning — a rare designation reserved for extreme fire weather. The warning covered central and southern Utah, including the Cottonwood Fire zone. NWS meteorologist Jason Stroud told Beaver City residents: "The Salt Lake City Office has never issued a PDS red flag warning ever... [the weather combination] is extremely concerning."
Roughly 1,300 residents in the towns of Marysvale, Junction, and Circleville are currently under a Level 2 evacuation notice. New fires — including the Maple Peak and Cherry fires — have added another 18,000 acres to Utah's total burn area since June 27. The Eagle Point ski resort in Beaver County has already been "severely damaged," according to CBS News.
Humans Sparked Three-Quarters of This Season's Fires — and Could Face Huge Bills
The governor's office says about 75% of Utah's 2026 wildfires were started by people. State Forester Jamie Barnes put it plainly: "One human-caused fire is one too many. These fires are starting closer to homes and communities." Officials are now warning that anyone who sparks a wildfire faces criminal fines up to $1,000 — and civil liability for the full cost of suppression and property damage.
For a fire the size of Cottonwood, that civil bill could reach tens of millions of dollars, according to Utah Governor's Office. The state has also set its sights on Pioneer Day, the major July 24 holiday. Officials say they will re-evaluate conditions before then to decide whether the ban stays in place.
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