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June 29, 2026 - Utah's Cottonwood Fire
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Strong winds fanned the flames of Utah’s Cottonwood Fire and carried a thick plume of smoke eastward on June 23, 2026. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired this true-color image of the massive plume of the dangerous fire on that same day.
The billowing plume from the Cottonwood Fire is so thick that it obscures the ground beneath and appears to cast a shadow at its edges. To the north, a smoke plume from Utah’s Iron Fire also blows eastward and, to the south, a smaller plume rises from the Kane Springs and Grapevine Fires in Nevada.
The Cottonwood Fire is the largest fire currently burning in the United States. It first started on June 22 five miles east of Beaver, Utah from an undetermined cause. With fuels “incredibly dry”, according to InciWeb, and extreme fire weather, the freshly-ignited fire spread rapidly. The fuels include timber, brush, light log slashing, with upper elevations dominated by timber understory with dead down fuels intermixed with bug killed standing deadwood, all of which are critically dry and are prone to torching and spotting, increasing the risk of additional rapid spread.
First responders worked to evacuate the area near the Cottonwood Fire area on June 23, and more than 1,000 fire personnel were actively working by June 28. At that time, the fire had spread to 93,606 acres and was reported by InciWeb to be zero percent contained.
The Iron Fire was first spotted on June 19 near the town of Eureka in Juab County. It grew rapidly, triggering evacuation of much of Eureka. By June 28, the fire had spread to 41,467 acres and was considered to be 77 percent contained. It is reported that the fire was human-caused.
In Nevada, the Kane Spring Fire began on June 17 seven miles southwest of the town of Caliente. Ignited by lightning strike, the fire reached 17,042 acres by June 28 and was considered 75 percent contained. The nearby Grapevine Fire began on the same day, also by lightning strike. By June 28, the fire spread over 26,460 acres and was only six percent contained.
According to a report on InciWeb, on June 27 a Fuels and Fire Behavior Advisory was issued for the Great Basin Region and is effective through July 10. This advisory was necessary because “Persistent drought, critically low fuel moistures, and fully cured fine fuels have created above-normal potential for significant wildfire activity. These conditions increase the likelihood of new fire starts, rapid rates of spread, prolonged burning periods, and fires that are difficult to contain.”
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 6/23/2026
Resolutions:
1km (216.3 KB), 500m (439 KB), 250m (554.5 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Strong winds fanned the flames of Utah’s Cottonwood Fire and carried a thick plume of smoke eastward on June 23, 2026. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired this true-color image of the massive plume of the dangerous fire on that same day.
The billowing plume from the Cottonwood Fire is so thick that it obscures the ground beneath and appears to cast a shadow at its edges. To the north, a smoke plume from Utah’s Iron Fire also blows eastward and, to the south, a smaller plume rises from the Kane Springs and Grapevine Fires in Nevada.
The Cottonwood Fire is the largest fire currently burning in the United States. It first started on June 22 five miles east of Beaver, Utah from an undetermined cause. With fuels “incredibly dry”, according to InciWeb, and extreme fire weather, the freshly-ignited fire spread rapidly. The fuels include timber, brush, light log slashing, with upper elevations dominated by timber understory with dead down fuels intermixed with bug killed standing deadwood, all of which are critically dry and are prone to torching and spotting, increasing the risk of additional rapid spread.
First responders worked to evacuate the area near the Cottonwood Fire area on June 23, and more than 1,000 fire personnel were actively working by June 28. At that time, the fire had spread to 93,606 acres and was reported by InciWeb to be zero percent contained.
The Iron Fire was first spotted on June 19 near the town of Eureka in Juab County. It grew rapidly, triggering evacuation of much of Eureka. By June 28, the fire had spread to 41,467 acres and was considered to be 77 percent contained. It is reported that the fire was human-caused.
In Nevada, the Kane Spring Fire began on June 17 seven miles southwest of the town of Caliente. Ignited by lightning strike, the fire reached 17,042 acres by June 28 and was considered 75 percent contained. The nearby Grapevine Fire began on the same day, also by lightning strike. By June 28, the fire spread over 26,460 acres and was only six percent contained.
According to a report on InciWeb, on June 27 a Fuels and Fire Behavior Advisory was issued for the Great Basin Region and is effective through July 10. This advisory was necessary because “Persistent drought, critically low fuel moistures, and fully cured fine fuels have created above-normal potential for significant wildfire activity. These conditions increase the likelihood of new fire starts, rapid rates of spread, prolonged burning periods, and fires that are difficult to contain.”
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 6/23/2026
Resolutions:
1km (216.3 KB), 500m (439 KB), 250m (554.5 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
