Community Meeting Set As Cottonwood Fire Tops 93000 Acres

The Cottonwood Fire burning in the Fishlake National Forest has now reached 93,918 acres and is five percent contained as firefighters continue making progress on multiple sections of the fire.

The wildfire, which began June 22 and remains under investigation, is being fought by 1,204 personnel assigned to the incident. Crews continue to focus on strengthening containment lines while addressing areas of active fire behavior across the fire perimeter.

Crews Work To Expand Containment Lines

On Tuesday, firefighters used direct suppression tactics along dozer lines surrounding the Beaver Watershed and began chipping operations in Miners Park. Around Mount Baldy, crews worked toward connecting existing dozer lines extending to Cork Ridge. Overnight, firefighters widened containment lines and completed mop-up work near LeBaron while also responding to active burning in the South Fork of the North Fork drainage. Small firing operations were conducted to slow the fire's spread, although rolling, burning debris sparked several new fires that crews are working to suppress today.

Additional firefighters stationed at Birch Creek began early morning fireline construction, while crews near the Thompson Ridge burn scar continued cold trailing and reinforcing lines to prevent fire from reentering previously burned areas. Across the incident, firefighters are removing hazardous dead trees and tackling timber stands with the potential to reignite.

Residents are invited to attend a community meeting tonight, Wednesday, July 1, at 7 p.m. Great Basin Incident Management Team 5 and local agency representatives will provide an update on firefighting efforts and answer questions from the public. The meeting will be held at the Piute High School Auditorium in Junction, with a watch party available at the Marysvale Community Center. A live stream will also be available on the Fishlake National Forest Facebook page.

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Warm, dry weather is expected to continue through Thursday, with low humidity and moderate winds creating conditions favorable for continued fire activity. Unhealthy smoke levels are expected in several areas during the morning hours. State Highway 153 remains closed in both directions, and forest closures and evacuation orders remain in effect. Gov. Spencer Cox's emergency order temporarily restricting most fireworks statewide from July 2 through July 5 also remains in place to reduce the risk of additional wildfire starts.