BEAVER, Utah — After touring the Cottonwood Fire site that continues to rage in central Utah, Gov. Spencer Cox said there's a "good chance that this is already the most destructive fire" in state history.
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Cox flew to the Beaver area on Wednesday to get a first-hand look at the fire that has already burned up to 60,000 acres and damaged hundreds of cabins and other structures.
The governor made his "most destructive" statement while acknowledging that it may not be the biggest wildfire in size, but in terms of property damage.
"We don't have details yet because the fire has been so destructive, because it's burning so hot and so fast. We haven't been able to get in and assess all of the loss there, but it's certainly catastrophic," he said. "We know that it's just it's going to impact this community for a long, long time."
The grim mood shared by the governor was apparently matched by officials overseeing the fight to stop the massive blaze, who toured the site with him on Wednesday.
"These are some of the toughest people I've ever met. I've never, honestly, I'll say, scared. I've never seen them this scared, this worried about what's happening out there," Cox said.
Cox took time to praise crews for being on the fire within 5 minutes of its start, and immediately went into evacuation mode when they realized the flames couldn't be stopped.
As far as paying to battle the Cottonwood Fire and others burning across Utah, the governor said he's not too concerned. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved funds covering approximately 75 percent of firefighting costs, and Cox claimed a state fire account has put money aside for years to assist with everything in the aftermath.
According to Cox, the state's fire fund is healthy at up to $120 million. But the problem isn't just money, it's resources, which are now running thin due to the constant barrage of fire starts in Utah over the past week. He said Utah is the "number one priority" for federal resources, but admitted there are other fires in the country.
The governor shared thanks that no one had died in the fast-moving fire, but admitted that there is currently no light at the end of the tunnel.
"There's no end in sight on this fire right now," Cox said. "There's no direct attack. It's just really trying to save everything that we can, and there's no timetable for how this will be put out."
