Cottonwood Fire Ravages Utah's Eagle Point Ski Resort, Governor Says It's a "Miracle" Nobody Died

The Cottonwood Fire broke out near Beaver, Utah, on Tuesday, June 22, and quickly exploded to over 60,000 acres in less than 24 hours due to strong winds and dry weather.

As of this morning, June 25, the fire has spread to over 70,000 acres and is 0% contained.

Speaking in a special news conference in Beaver yesterday afternoon, Utah Governor Spencer Cox said, “We’re still evaluating things, but there’s a very good chance this is already the most destructive fire in the state’s history. What that means is it’s not the biggest fire in the state’s history, but as far as property values, property loss… It’s certainly catastrophic.”

“The good news is that we didn’t lose anybody,” Cox continued. “Nobody died, that’s a miracle.” Speaking to the magnitude of the fire, Cox explained that he’s worked with fire management crews for over a decade, but that he’s “never seen them more scared” than during the Cottonwood Fire.

The fire is expected to continue to rage over the coming days as strong winds and warm temperatures are in the forecast. Cox did not provide a timeline for containment and acknowledged that, “cabin owners, home owners, condo owners, the ski resort, they’re all kind of expecting the worst.”

Photos emerged yesterday of what appeared to be a ski lodge at Eagle Point Resort engulfed in flames. A fire map on Watch Duty confirms that the resort was affected by the blaze.

Eagle Point Owner Shane Gadbaw released a sobering statement confirming the fire caused “significant property loss” and that the resort will be closed for “a considerable time”. Full statement below.

“We are incredibly grateful for the firefighters and first responders who are working tirelessly to protect our community. Right now, we are focused on supporting emergency response efforts. We are in close communication with fire authorities and local agencies. Conditions at the resort remain dangerous, and we are monitoring the situation closely. We are thankful that to our knowledge, there have been no human casualties from the fire. There has been significant property loss for local owners and the resort. Eagle Point will be closed for a considerable time to recover from the catastrophe. Once we can safely return to Eagle Point to assess the extent of the damage, we will share a detailed update with the public.”

POWDER extends its condolences to our friends affected by the Cottonwood Fire, and we’re hoping for the best for Eagle Point. Ski resorts like Mountain High, California, Tamarack, Idaho, and Sierra-at-Tahoe, California have all survived wildfires in recent years.

We’re keeping all of our fingers crossed that Eagle Point will be added to that list soon.

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