The Utah Division of Water Resources urged extreme caution for the Fourth of July weekend as drought conditions strained the water supply and fire danger continued to escalate. The agency requested that people recreate responsibly to help prevent new wildfire starts while crews managed ongoing incidents.
Several wildfires, including the Cottonwood, Babylon, Wild Goose, Cherry, and Iron fires, had burned more than 312,000 acres across Utah. These fires were fueled by high temperatures, dry fuels, and wind. The Cottonwood Fire was determined to be human-caused and expanded to over 27,000 acres.
Reservoir storage was reported at 64% full, which was 11% lower than normal for that time of year and 15% lower than the previous year. The Utah Division of Water Resources stated that while fighting wildfires, state and federal agencies can use emergency authority to immediately draw water from reservoirs, temporarily bypassing standard water rights to protect property and lives.
Brianne Emery, Deputy Director of Program Services at the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, stated that while easy access to water for fighting wildfires is often taken for granted, planning and relationships are more important during years like this one.
Low reservoir levels have required some parks, such as Escalante Petrified Forest State Park, to close boat launch ramps to protect visitors and property. Additionally, the Utah Division of Water Resources issued emergency changes to increase the daily fishing limit at seven Utah waterbodies due to the ongoing drought impacts and low water levels.
In Midvale, an apartment fire had displaced hundreds of people as crews continued to battle flames.
