Utah declares emergency in three counties after wildfires and flooding

Gov. Spencer J. Cox signed an emergency declaration July 22 for Beaver, Piute and Sevier counties, activating Utah’s Emergency Operations Plan after wildfires and subsequent flooding created continuing hazards and damaged infrastructure.

The declaration follows a season in which Utah recorded more than 590 wildfires that burned nearly 380,000 acres statewide. In the three-county area covered by the order, the Cottonwood Fire burned more than 97,000 acres in Beaver and Piute counties.

State officials said the emergency action supports mitigation and recovery assistance. The declaration also supports continued state deployment and requests for additional assistance, according to the governor’s office.

Fire damage raised flooding and debris-flow concerns

Wildfire burn scars can increase the risk of flash flooding and debris flows. That risk became a central part of the emergency response after the fires, as flooding affected communities and infrastructure in the area.

In Beaver Canyon, flooding destroyed portions of State Route 153. The route damage is among the transportation impacts cited in the emergency declaration.

Flooding also disrupted culinary and agricultural water systems serving Beaver City, Marysvale, Junction and Circleville. The declaration identifies those disruptions as part of the damage affecting the region after the wildfire season and flooding.

In Sevier County, homes and water infrastructure were damaged, including in Koosharem. The state’s declaration covers Sevier County along with Beaver and Piute counties, rather than every Utah county that has experienced wildfire, flooding or drought conditions this year.

Declaration is limited to three counties

The governor’s order applies specifically to Beaver, Piute and Sevier counties. It does not extend the state declaration to all of the counties that have declared their own local emergencies.

Since April, 18 Utah counties had declared local emergencies related to wildfire, flooding or drought. Those local declarations reflect a broader statewide emergency picture, but the July 22 state action is limited to the three counties named by Cox.

The scale of the fires is also statewide. Utah’s more than 590 reported wildfires and nearly 380,000 burned acres describe statewide conditions, while the Cottonwood Fire figure applies to the fire in Beaver and Piute counties.

What the order changes

By declaring an emergency, Cox activated the Utah Emergency Operations Plan for the affected counties. The governor’s office said the action supports hazard-mitigation work and recovery assistance as communities address fire damage and flooding-related threats.

The declaration comes as officials continue to deal with damage to roads, homes and water infrastructure, as well as the risk posed by burn scars. The source material did not provide a current statewide containment total for the fires or a final estimate of damage.

It also did not specify how long the declaration will remain in effect or whether federal assistance will be approved. Those decisions, along with the pace of recovery and any additional aid, were not specified in the July 22 announcement.

For residents in the three covered counties, the declaration formally places the wildfire and flooding impacts within the state emergency response structure while recovery and hazard-mitigation efforts continue.

Sources

• Gov. Cox declares state of emergency for Beaver, Piute and Sevier counties following wildfires and catastrophic flooding, Office of the Governor of Utah