Environment

First look at Cottonwood Fire aftermath: Utah man tours his now-destroyed cabin neighborhood for first time since flames

Courtney Tanner — Sun, 05 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000

As his little Kia chugged up the once familiar dirt road toward 482 Ponderosa Drive, James Bybee struggled to recognize anything that now remained in the canyon.

A small Utah town’s water crisis has eased, but officials say it’s not out of danger yet

Mark Eddington — Sun, 05 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Apple Valley • Three weeks after an alfalfa farmer’s deeper well threatened to drain Apple Valley’s aquifer dry, the immediate water crisis has stabilized. But officials in the town 30 miles east of St. George say they are still scrambling for a permanent solution.

Here’s where — and when — you can see fighter jets fly over dozens of Utah cities for America’s 250th

Sydney Jezik — Fri, 03 Jul 2026 12:00:01 +0000

Utah’s resident fleet of Air Force fighter jets have been extra active in recent weeks, with a flyover above the Utah Talons softball game in early June that prompted excitement as well as confusion. Turns out that was just the warmup.

Utah’s Cottonwood Fire is already the 6th largest in state history. Here’s a list of the 10 biggest and 3 deadliest.

Courtney Tanner — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 12:00:00 +0000

The Babylon Fire, currently burning nearly 80,000 acres in San Juan County, also jumped to the No. 9 spot Thursday.

A rescue hawk not native to Utah and dependent on humans is missing in Sugar House. Can you help find him?

Sydney Jezik — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 18:40:05 +0000

“He is a very vocal bird with a distinctive call, so people may hear him before they see him,” said an official with HawkWatch International, a Salt Lake City-based nonprofit that works to help hawks and other raptors.

As Utah fires worsen, U.S. Forest Service chief calls for more active forest management

Leia Larsen — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 12:01:52 +0000

Note to readers •This story is made possible through a partnership between The Salt Lake Tribune and Grist, a nonprofit environmental media organization.

Utah’s massive Cottonwood Fire has already destroyed more than 100 structures, cost more than $20M to fight

Courtney Tanner — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 20:04:18 +0000

The raging Cottonwood Fire near Beaver has been called one of the “most destructive” in Utah history, and for the first time Monday, fire officials gave an estimate of just how much damage has been done.

Eagle Point owner shares photos of resort charred by Cottonwood Fire

Julie Jag — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 12:23:03 +0000

Eagle Point Resort - one of Utah's smallest and most affordable ski areas - suffered extensive damage from the Cottonwood Fire. Owner Shane Gadbaw returned Monday and found "heartbreaking" destruction, but also some areas mostly unscathed.

After a week of waiting, this Utah family learned its 1950s log cabin was destroyed by the Cottonwood Fire

Courtney Tanner — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000

The 93,000-acre Cottonwood Fire is still burning too hot and too actively for much property assessment to be done. “There are still folks who aren’t sure if their properties are affected."

The best defense against Utah’s extreme heat might be a tree

Brooke Larsen — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 12:00:00 +0000

Trees are the most effective tool to reduce the urban heat island effect, and they're more drought resilient than lawns.