The Cottonwood Fire has achieved 77 percent containment as of July 12, 2026, according to an update from the U.S. Forest Service. The fire, which began on June 22, 2026, has burned 97,373 acres within the Fishlake National Forest in Beaver County.
Recent high winds and dry conditions caused increased fire activity in pockets of unburned fuel. To address this, helitack personnel were deployed to rough terrain near Kents Lake, while aircraft dropped retardant in Pine Creek to limit the spread of the fire. Additionally, Unmanned Aerial Systems supported crews by identifying locations in rugged areas that required further work.
Resource assignments for the incident include 1,040 total personnel, 22 crews, 37 engines, 12 helicopters, and 2 Unmanned Aerial Systems.
The Beaver County Sheriff and Piute County Sheriff are permitting restricted access only for property owners in the LeBaron and Arrowhead areas. Residents can obtain permits starting at 8 a.m. at the Search and Rescue building in Beaver or in the parking lot of Piute High School in Junction. A checkout process must be completed before 2 p.m. to avoid conflicts with firefighting operations.
Evacuations remain in effect for several locations, including Hi-Lo Estates, Upper Kents Lake, Merchant Valley, Eagle Point area, and Arrowhead Summer homes.
Large area closures are currently in effect for the Fishlake National Forest, affecting roads and trails. Additionally, all BLM-managed lands west of Highway 89 between Bullion Canyon Road in Marysvale and the southern Piute County border are closed. State Highway 153 is also closed from Beaver to Junction between mileposts 3 and 35. While weather remains hot and dry, lighter winds are expected ahead of predicted monsoonal moisture.
