Cottonwood Fire becomes nation's largest at 92,000 acres as Utah holds emergency; dangerous heat builds across central and eastern U.S.

Today’s brief leads with the Western wildfire crisis, where the National Interagency Fire Center holds the nation at Preparedness Level 3 amid roughly 45 uncontained large fires and extremely critical fire weather across the southern Intermountain West. Utah carries the heaviest load, with the Cottonwood Fire now the nation’s largest active wildfire near 92,000 acres, the Iron and Cherry fires driving evacuations, and a statewide emergency and fireworks restrictions in effect. We also track a prolonged, dangerous heat episode building across the central and eastern United States ahead of the July Fourth holiday, severe storm and flash flood risks in the Plains and Mid-Atlantic, tropical monitoring in the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific, and state-level items including a Virginia boil water notice. EM Morning Brief is your concise daily update on national and state-by-state emergency management news. Produced by Sitch Radio, an EOC Voices podcast.

Key Takeaways

• National wildfire posture: NIFC holds the country at Preparedness Level 3 with roughly 45 uncontained large fires; extremely critical fire weather grips northern Arizona, eastern Utah, western Colorado, and far northwestern New Mexico.

• Utah leads the crisis: The Cottonwood Fire is the nation’s largest active wildfire near 92,000 acres at zero containment; the Iron Fire is about 40,800 acres and 38 percent contained; the Cherry Fire has grown past 30,000 acres and is forcing mandatory evacuations for Mammoth, Silver City, Eureka, and Tintic Junction. A statewide emergency and fireworks restrictions remain in effect through July 5.

• Active evacuations elsewhere: Arizona’s Pocket Fire keeps Oak Creek Canyon under orders north of Sedona; California crews responded to a Butte County grass fire near Paradise, with Big Bear public safety power shutoffs in place.

• Dangerous heat building: Tens of millions are under heat alerts; extreme heat warnings and advisories span the Upper Midwest (Minnesota), the Mid-South (Tennessee), and the Northeast (New York), with heat index values up to 105 to 110 degrees later this week.

• Lifelines and water: A boil water notice is in effect for parts of Alleghany County, Virginia after a main break; Rocky Mountain Power issued public safety power shutoff watches and warnings for parts of central, southern, and eastern Utah.

• Watch items: Slight risks for severe thunderstorms in the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest and for excessive rainfall in the Mid-Atlantic and Tennessee Valley; the National Hurricane Center monitors low to medium development chances in the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific, with no coastal warnings in effect.

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Sources

NIFC and National Fire Activity

• NIFC Incident Management Situation Report: national preparedness level, fire counts, and incident details

• NIFC National Fire News: current national wildfire overview

Heat

• NWS Weather Prediction Center HeatRisk: national heat hazard outlook

• NBC News: dangerous heat wave ahead of July Fourth, with historic highs possible

Severe Weather and Tropical

• NWS Storm Prediction Center Day 2 Convective Outlook: severe thunderstorm risk areas

• NHC Graphical Tropical Weather Outlook: Atlantic and Eastern Pacific development chances

• NHC Atlantic Tropical Weather Discussion: current basin discussion

Utah

• CBS News and AP: Utah declares emergency, limits fireworks as crews battle the largest U.S. wildfire

• ABC4: Cottonwood Fire update and acreage

• KUTV: Iron Fire growth and containment

Arizona

• NIFC Incident Management Situation Report: Pocket and Sycamore fire details

California

• CBS News Los Angeles: Big Bear public safety power shutoffs amid wildfire risk

• CBS News Sacramento: Butte County grass fire prompts evacuation activity near Paradise

Colorado

• CBS News Colorado: Dry Creek Fire reaches 90 percent containment south of Rifle

Florida, Idaho, North Carolina, Washington, Wyoming, Nevada, New Mexico, Alaska

• NIFC Incident Management Situation Report: state-by-state large incident details

Minnesota

• FOX 9 Minneapolis: extreme heat warning issued for June 29, 2026

New York

• NBC News: heat wave ahead of July Fourth, Northeast heat watch detail

Tennessee

• NewsChannel 5 Nashville: dangerous heat moving into the Mid-South

Virginia

• WDBJ7: new boil water notice issued for Alleghany County neighborhoods