BEAVER COUNTY, Utah — The troubling Cottonwood Fire, which has already burned hundreds of properties in central Utah, has shown no signs of slowing, with the latest numbers showing that it has grown to over 92,000 acres and remains zero percent contained.
In an update Saturday, fire officials shared that while weather conditions will be slightly better with slightly cooler temperatures and higher humidity, "extreme fire behavior may occur in the afternoon as temperatures and wind speeds increase."
As of 9 a.m., the fire was at 92,254 acres, which is a large increase from what it had been 24 hours earlier.
On Friday, the greatest fire activity was reported to be in the North Fork drainage, with firefighters working on fireline construction off Highway 153. However, that work was called off due to extreme fire behavior.
The plan for Saturday is for dozers and crews to improve the lines that were tested on Friday, and continue working in the Silver King area to build firelines.
"Smoke is expected again to the northeast of the fire. The air quality will be unhealthy at times, especially for the Marysvale area. Be prepared for rapidly changing conditions," officials warned.
Residents on other side of Cottonwood Fire now prepare for the worst:
The next opportunity for residents to learn more information on the fire in person will come at a public meeting scheduled for Monday night at Beaver High School.
