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The Cottonwood Fire burned through Eagle Point Resort east of Beaver, causing “significant property loss” and forcing the southwestern Utah ski resort to close, the resort’s owner said Wednesday.

“We are thankful that to our knowledge, there have been no human casualties from the fire,” Shane Gadbaw, owner of Eagle Point Resort, wrote in the statement posted on Instagram. “There has been significant property loss for local owners and the resort.”

Conditions at the resort remain “dangerous,” Gadbaw wrote, adding that the resort will share updates once workers can safely return and assess the damage.

For now, Gadbaw wrote the Beaver County resort will remain closed for a “considerable time,” as crews work to determine what was lost to the blaze and “recover from the catastrophe.”

“We are incredibly grateful for the firefighters and first responders who are working tirelessly to protect our community,” Gadbaw wrote, adding that the resort’s immediate focus is supporting emergency crews and residents affected by the fire.

Fire burns over 59,000 acres

The fire started Monday afternoon and spread rapidly, according to Utah Fire Info, fanned by wind gusts of up to 50 mph.

The blaze may already be the “most destructive fire in the state’s history,” Gov. Spencer Cox said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon. “What that means is not the biggest fire in the state’s history, but as far as property values, property loss.”

As of Wednesday afternoon, the blaze had grown to more than 59,000 acres driven by high temperatures, gusty winds and extremely dry fuels, according to the Forest Service. The fire remained 0% contained, and the cause is still under investigation, the Forest Service said.

Officials are still assessing the damage, but Cox said hundreds of properties may have been affected, including cabins, condos, homes and the ski resort, with owners “all expecting the worst.”

Mandatory evacuation orders for Eagle Point, Merchant Valley, HiLo Estates and Arrowhead Summer Homes remained in effect Wednesday, according to the Forest Service.

The Piute County Sheriff’s Office issued an emergency alert Wednesday afternoon urging Marysvale residents to be prepared to evacuate if necessary. Earlier Wednesday, the sheriff’s office issued a similar warning for residents of Junction and Circleville.

The sheriff’s office said Rocky Mountain Power has de-energized power lines because of the wildfire, though officials do not know how long the outage will last. The U.S. Forest Service said crews from the utility are also working to clear downed power lines on Highway 153.

Due to the blaze, court operations in Panguitch and Junction have been suspended and courthouses will remain closed while wildfire alerts or evacuations are in place, according to a release from Utah State Courts.

The closures were ordered after courthouses in both towns lost power because of the fire, along with internet outages in Garfield County and other disruptions that have prevented normal court operations, the release states.

‘Devastating’ fires burn across Utah

As Utah battles at least six larger wildfires across the state, Cox warned at Wednesday’s news conference that conditions are unlike other dry years the state has seen, with drought and depleted fuel sources causing even healthy-looking trees to burn “like toilet paper.”

“What we’re seeing now is devastating,” Cox said. “And we’ve had this in portions of our state before, but this is the first time that anyone can remember where the entire state [was affected]. Northern Utah is as dry as southern Utah, eastern Utah is as dry as western Utah — and we’re just seeing it on all corners.”

To help ease firefighting costs, Cox said the Federal Emergency Management Agency has approved a Fire Management Assistance Grant for the Cottonwood Fire, covering about 75% of costs. A similar grant was also approved for the Iron Fire near Eureka, he said, and a $120 million state fire fund is available if needed.