Gov. Cox cautions against 'careless action' as Utah's wildfire preparedness level rises

SALT LAKE CITY — As Millard County's Widemouth 2 Fire prompted evacuations after expanding to 36,000 acres on Sunday, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox signaled a warning to the region, and "every Utahn."

"Utah's current wildfire conditions are extremely dangerous," Gov. Spencer Cox said in a social media post, where he also said the state had reached four out of five on the national fire preparedness level scale.

"With another hot, dry week ahead, we need every Utahn to take precautions. Avoid anything that could create a spark, secure trailer chains, never park on dry grass and follow all fire restrictions and evacuation orders," he wrote. "One careless action could put lives, homes, and our firefighters at risk."

Cox said firefighters were facing "catastrophic conditions" while working on the Widemouth 2 Fire and firefighting resources were stretched thin.

As of Sunday, 745 fires had burned 423,982 acres in Utah during the 2026 fire season, according to Utah Fire Info.

So far this year, the Babylon Fire is the largest wildfire recorded after its start on June 26 due to an undetermined cause in San Juan County. The Babylon Fire was also the first wildfire to reach the 100,000-acre mark in nearly a decade.

On Sunday, Utah Fire Info's latest record was 95% containment of the Babylon Fire after it had reached 107,189 acres.

Firefighters also began efforts fighting the Widemouth 2 Fire after its ignition on Monday. The blaze quickly expanded overnight on Saturday from 10,300 acres to over 36,000 acres by Sunday morning, prompting evacuations and giving cause for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to send funds to help with firefighting costs.

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