Scorching temperatures, dry vegetation and strong winds drove multiple wildfires across the West on Sunday, including a still-uncontained fire in Utah that prompted evacuations in a small community southwest of Salt Lake City.
The Iron Fire in Juab County, Utah, was reported Saturday and had burned 34 square miles (87 square kilometers), officials said. Located about 70 miles (113 kilometers) southwest of Salt Lake City, the blaze forced residents of Eureka, a town of roughly 1,000 people, as well as those at a nearby ranch, to evacuate.
Officials said no homes had been destroyed. UTAH Fire Info, a multiagency information service, reported on X that crews carried out a successful backburn operation to help shield the town.
Kelly Wickens, a fire prevention specialist with the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, cautioned that the blaze continued to expand as drought conditions persisted. Wickens said the fire was caused by human activity, though the exact circumstances remain under investigation.
Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox traveled to the area on Sunday.
“We knew that there was going to be extreme fire danger, and sure enough we had multiple fires,” Cox said.
The Iron Fire was among six active fires burning across Utah, with containment levels varying from one incident to another.
In nearby Colorado, the National Weather Service placed the state’s southwest corner under a red flag warning through Monday because of gusty winds and very low relative humidity.
A wildfire prompted evacuations over the weekend near Sedona, Arizona, burning about 300 acres (120 hectares) of steep and rugged terrain near Oak Creek Canyon. As of Sunday afternoon, the fire remained uncontained. Residents evacuated earlier were still not being allowed to return home.
Much of the Western U.S. from the Rockies to the Pacific coast saw above-average temperatures this weekend with even hotter weather anticipated for early next week. Officials also warned that the prolonged dry, hot weather and relatively low humidity increased the risk of fire danger.
Much of Utah is experiencing severe to extreme drought, while parts of Arizona and Colorado are experiencing severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Extreme heat claimed the lives of three hikers in two separate incidents last week in the Grand Canyon. Temperatures were expected to climb in the Southwest on Sunday, with a forecast of up to 108 degrees Fahrenheit (42.2 C) in Carlsbad, New Mexico.
Meanwhile, a brush fire in Miami-Dade County in Florida spread across 2,000 acres (800 hectares) on Saturday.
