Wildfires cast a shadow over Utah’s Fourth of July as fireworks are restricted and communities mourn treasured places

By Alaa Elassar, CNN

(CNN) — With Utah gripped by one of its most dangerous wildfire seasons in recent memory, state officials have imposed sweeping restrictions on Fourth of July fireworks ahead of the nation’s 250th Independence Day celebrations, saying the risk of sparking catastrophic new fires is simply too great.

Gov. Spencer Cox acknowledged in a news release Friday the move was an exceptionally difficult one.

“Nothing about this decision was easy,” Cox said. “Utahns love celebrating the Fourth of July with family, friends and fireworks. I do too. But this year is different. We are seeing fire behavior that even our most experienced firefighters say they’ve never witnessed before.”

A historic drought, hundreds of wildfires and unprecedented fire behavior have stretched Utah’s firefighting resources to the brink, leaving little room for additional human-caused ignitions, according to the governor’s office.

More than three-quarters of Utah’s wildfires this season have been sparked by people, state officials said. They warn that an extended drought, bone-dry vegetation and volatile weather have created conditions where a single spark can rapidly explode into a fast-moving, destructive wildfire.

Those dangerous conditions intensified Friday, when forecasters issued the highest possible fire weather risk — a Level 3 of 3, or “extremely critical” designation — across Utah, as well as parts of northern Arizona and eastern Nevada.

The threat became so severe that the National Weather Service office in Salt Lake City issued its first-ever “particularly dangerous situation” red flag warning, which covers central and southern Utah and includes the Cottonwood Fire, the state’s largest active blaze. This exceptionally rare designation is reserved for the most extreme fire weather conditions.

“This is a temporary measure for an extraordinary year,” Cox said of the fireworks ban. “It protects lives and homes while allowing local leaders, working alongside their fire officials, to identify areas where fireworks can be used safely.”

In some municipalities, local leaders working alongside fire officials will designate approved areas where fireworks can still be used under safer conditions.

Several large wildfires continue to burn across central and southern Utah. The Cottonwood Fire, burning through the Fishlake National Forest east of Beaver, Utah, has grown to more than 92,000 acres as of Saturday morning, an area bigger than Salt Lake City, in just a few days and remains 0% contained. Evacuations are in place for the fire, which state and local officials believe is likely Utah’s most destructive and costly wildfire on record. Its cause is still under investigation.

A total of 873 personnel are battling the Cottonwood Fire, where crews have been warned to stay vigilant of the dangerous and unpredictable fire behavior.

“We always have safety first out there, and as soon as we see things or we start getting feelings, we’ve told the guys they don’t like it, disengage, get to a safe place,” Alyssa Mason, a spokesperson for the fire’s emergency management team, told CNN affiliate KSL.

State officials also warned that anyone whose illegal actions ignite a wildfire could face steep criminal charges and substantial civil liability for the damage caused.

Beloved cabins and lifelong memories reduced to ashes

As officials continue assessing the ongoing damage, the full toll of the Cottonwood Fire remains unknown. But across the Beaver Mountain community, residents are already grieving the loss of cherished cabins and family retreats that held generations of memories.

For Evan Stapley, Beaver Mountain was more than a weekend getaway — it was woven into his family’s history.

“To me, nothing’s more beautiful than Beaver Mountain in the fall,” Stapley told CNN affiliate KSL. “The aspen yellow, and you get the reds in there and all the greens. There is nothing more beautiful in the world.”

Now, the cabin where those memories were made has been reduced to ash. Stapley said he learned it had burned in the Cottonwood Fire after a friend sent him video of the spot where it once stood.

“I saw that and went, ‘That’s just unbelievable,’” he told KSL. “The fire must have moved so fast and twirled around in there and just took it … I cried,” he added. “I’ve got too many memories, too many memories of that place.”

The fire also dealt a devastating blow to Eagle Point Ski Resort, where several buildings were damaged or destroyed. In a Facebook post, owner Shane Gadbaw said the resort will remain closed as it recovers from what he called a catastrophe.

“We are thankful that to our knowledge, there have been no human casualties from the fire,” Gadbaw said in a Facebook post.

Residents gathered Friday in Piute County as the Cottonwood Fire pushed closer, with flames visible in the distance and smoke settling across the valley, to hear updates and discuss emergency response plans, CNN affiliate KSTU reported.

During the meeting, Nick Schenk of Great Basin Team 5, one of the first responders who fought the blaze Monday, delivered an emotional account of the battle against the fire.

“We did everything we absolutely could. We called for every bit of help we could find. And about all we could do was get people out of the way of it,” Schenk told KSTU.

Photos shared by the resort Thursday showed a handful of lodges still standing amid a landscape of blackened trees.

Farther north, the Iron Fire near Eureka, Utah, has burned more than 40,000 acres after forcing evacuations earlier this week. Nearby, the Cherry Fire, sparked by lightning Friday morning, has already grown to more than 30,000 acres.

Another blaze, the Wild Goose Fire, ignited near Holden on Friday, adding to a growing list of active wildfires across Utah. State fire officials estimated by Saturday afternoon it had burned roughly 9,000 acres as crews worked to assess and contain its spread.

The widespread critical fire weather conditions are expected to continue across central and southern Utah through Saturday, according to the National Weather Service, with strong winds creating challenges for firefighting efforts. A strong cold front will pass through late Saturday into Sunday, which will shift winds and bring lower temperatures.

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CNN’s Chris Dolce contributed to this report.