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Why is it so hazy in Salt Lake City? Out-of-state wildfires are partially to blame.

State fire officials say the haze and smoke along the Wasatch Front are not from the Iron or Sawmill fires, but from large fires in Nevada and Arizona.

(Trevor Christensen | The Salt Lake Tribune) The haze of wildfire smoke settles over Utah County on Saturday, June 20, 2026.

(Trevor Christensen | The Salt Lake Tribune) The haze of wildfire smoke settles over Utah County on Saturday, June 20, 2026.

A combination of fires burning across the Great Basin is creating hazy skies over northern Utah this weekend.

Overnight, emergency responders began fighting what they are calling the Iron Fire west of Eureka. The more than 4,700-acre wildfire, which Utah fire officials said was human-caused, has burned portions of Juab, Utah and Tooele counties and is sending thick smoke into the sky.

“Multiple ground resources were engaged overnight, with additional firefighters and air resources arriving this morning,” fire officials said Saturday morning. Initially, officials said no structures were threatened by the fire, but later Saturday afternoon, officials said several structures in the area were in danger.

Meanwhile, the Sawmill Fire in western Iron County near Beryl and Lund has grown to nearly 3,700 acres and is 0% contained, fire officials said.

(Screenshot) A screenshot of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's hazard mapping system for fire and smoke, centered on Utah, on June 20, 2026.

But the smoke lingering around the Wasatch Front isn’t all stemming from Utah skies, as “much of the widespread smoke forecast across Utah is being transported from larger wildfires burning in neighboring states, including Nevada & Arizona,” fire officials posted to social media Saturday.

Fires across the Nevada border are pushing smoke northeast into the Beehive State; simultaneously, the Kane Springs and Grapevine Fires in Nevada are burning under Red Flag Warnings — meaning high temperatures, low humidity and strong wind has increased the fire dangers for the region.

Also, the state forester issued Stage 1 fire restrictions on Friday, meaning some fire and firework bans are now active across much of northern Utah. Stage 1 restrictions prohibit open fires, smoking outdoors, fireworks and other activities that could produce fire or sparks in the open.

And air quality, as of Saturday morning, was hovering at moderate. Check the air quality conditions for your county here at air.utah.gov.

Note to readers, 3:10 p.m. • This story was updated after fire officials said the Iron Fire grew to over 4,700 acres.

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