Dangerous fire conditions in the Southwest are threatening to worsen blazes in Utah, Nevada and New Mexico, putting many communities on high alert this weekend.Limited time: Save 25% on NBC News subscriptionGet exclusive reporting, live Q&As and ad-free reading.The National Weather Service warned Saturday that gusty winds and dry air have created an “extremely critical risk” of fire weather — the agency’s highest threat level — across the Great Basin and Four Corners regions.Dry thunderstorms have brought the additional danger of frequent lightning, which can ignite fires, while parched vegetation helps flames spread and makes containment far more difficult.
The Cottonwood Fire in Beaver County, Utah, now stretches more than 92,000 acres and remains zero percent contained after five days.Low humidity and high winds accelerated its spread on Friday.
Conditions are expected to ease somewhat Saturday, but the fire will likely continue growing as temperatures and winds climb in the afternoon.Air quality in the Marysvale area is expected to reach unhealthy levels by the afternoon and evening.
Sensitive groups — including children, pregnant women, the elderly, and those with heart or lung disease — should avoid outdoor physical activity.Alyssa Mason, a spokesperson for the fire’s emergency management team, said there is no estimate yet for when the fire will be contained.Vegetation in the area has been drying since March, following record high temperatures and record low snowpack over the winter — conditions that contributed to extreme fire behavior, she said.“Our plan of action has not changed.
We are continuing to engage the fire where and when we can, with firefighter and public safety as our main priority,” Mason said in a statement.The blaze damaged Eagle Point, a beloved ski resort, and forced evacuations earlier in the week.The resort’s owner wrote Wednesday on Facebook that it would be “closed for a considerable time to recover ...