Wildfires Force Evacuations in Utah as Heat and Wind Spread Across Western U.S.

Extreme heat, dry winds and drought conditions fueled several wildfires across the western United States on Sunday, including an uncontained blaze in Utah that forced the evacuation of a small town. The Iron Fire in Utah’s Juab County was first detected on Saturday and had burned 34 square miles by Sunday.

The fire, located about 70 miles southwest of Salt Lake City, prompted the evacuation of Eureka, a town of about 1,000 residents, along with people at a nearby ranch. No homes were lost. Officials said firefighters carried out a successful backburn operation to protect the town.

Near Sedona, Arizona, another wildfire burned roughly 300 acres of steep terrain near Oak Creek Canyon and stayed uncontained as of Sunday afternoon. Much of the western United States from the Rockies to the Pacific coast recorded above-average temperatures over the weekend, with hotter conditions forecast for early next week.

Parts of southern California were placed under an extreme heat advisory.

Utah is experiencing severe to extreme drought, while parts of Arizona and Colorado face severe drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Officials warned that the combination of prolonged heat, low humidity and dry vegetation has raised the risk of additional fires.

A brush fire in Miami-Dade County, Florida, burned across 2,000 acres on Saturday. Temperatures were expected to reach 108 degrees Fahrenheit in Carlsbad, New Mexico, on Sunday.