Utah wildfires have already burned more acres than the past five years combined

Smoke from Utah wildfires has underscored a severe 2026 fire season, with more acres burned statewide by early July than during the previous five years combined, according to Utah Fire Info data reported by KUER. Photo: Utah Fire Info

State fire officials say drought, dry fuels and wind have created a “perfect storm” as Summit County remains under Stage 2 fire restrictions

SUMMIT COUNTY, Utah — Utah’s 2026 wildfire season has already outpaced the previous five years combined, with more than 357,000 acres burned statewide by early July, according to Utah Fire Info data reported by KUER.

KUER reported Tuesday that Utah wildfires had burned 357,173 acres as of July 6, surpassing the 355,944 acres burned in the state from 2021 through 2025 combined, based on National Interagency Fire Center data.

The surge has been driven largely by the Cottonwood and Babylon fires, two of the largest fires burning in the country, KUER reported.

Kelly Wickens, a fire prevention specialist with the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands, told KUER the season’s numbers are startling, even though they reflect what state officials had warned could happen after a historically dry, warm year.

“We’re seeing fire growth up to 30,000 acres in a day, which we haven’t seen in a very long time, if ever,” Wickens told KUER.

State and federal fire officials warned in May that persistent drought and poor winter snowpack had primed Utah’s wildland fuels for an active summer, according to the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands. Dry conditions and an increase in hot days accelerated fuel-drying cycles across Utah’s rangelands and high-elevation forests, officials said.

The National Interagency Fire Center reported Monday that the country was at National Preparedness Level 4, with firefighters working to suppress and contain 35 large fires nationwide. NIFC said more than 37,000 fires had burned more than 3.3 million acres across the United States so far this year.

In Utah, Summit County remains under Stage 2 fire restrictions for all unincorporated and state lands. The county said the restrictions took effect on June 26 due to current and forecast weather conditions and extremely dry vegetation.

Stage 2 restrictions prohibit open fires, including campfires and other ash-producing fuels, on state and unincorporated lands. Summit County has also said fireworks are prohibited across the county, including on public and private land and within city boundaries.

The restrictions came as the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands described the season as one of the most severe in recent history. On June 26, State Forester Jamie Barnes issued a statewide fireworks ban under an executive order from Gov. Spencer Cox.

“This year we are seeing more fires start due to the dry vegetation. These fires are starting closer to homes and communities,” Barnes said in the state announcement. “One human-caused fire is one too many.”

The state said the ban was intended to help cities and towns reduce ignition risks during the July Fourth holiday.

Fire officials continue to urge residents to prevent new starts by fully extinguishing campfires where allowed, avoiding parking vehicles on dry grass, securing trailer chains so they do not drag and spark, and following all local fire restrictions.

“Prevention is really Utah’s first response to fire this year,” Wickens told KUER.