Fire alerts are in place once again as potentially record breaking heat continues to bring problems to the desert Southwest. In combination with extreme drought, fire danger is a prominent threat to the western United States. There are hundreds of thousands of acres already burning, mainly in Utah and Arizona, with evacuations still ongoing for many.

Utah Fires

Pack Creek Fire

The Pack Creek Fire began on June 9th due to a campfire that was left unattended last week. Always remember, if it’s too hot to touch it’s too hot to leave. At least 3 structures have burned down because of this fire and soot and smoke particulate was falling over some people’s homes as far as Grand Junction, CO.

Multiple homes are in the path of the fire, along with infrastructure that provides services to rural Utah communities. Firefighters are working hard to keep the fire at bay.

#PackCreekFire Update: The Pack Creek Fire is currently 26% contained and 8,453 acres thanks to favorable conditions, assistance from aircraft, and good work by firefighting personnel.

Photo ©2021 Niki Jahns pic.twitter.com/UKRbohWPL9

— Utah Fire Info (@UtahWildfire) June 16, 2021

Bear Fire

Another large fire is burning near Helper, Utah and is now up to 30% containment. Fire fighters from California are on scene working to contain this fire. There is a secondary fire nearby, the Bennion Fire, that is now over 8,000 acres with only 17% containment.

Fire fighters are battling this fire from the ground and the air, using buckets to drop water over the fires.

An SH-H3 fighting the #BearFire loads its tank from a mobile retardant plant. This Type 1 helo can drop hundreds of gallons of retardant or water with each trip, working closely w/ ground crews. #blmgl #FireYear2021

CREDIT: Richard Shaw, Red Dog Communications pic.twitter.com/NlbCZPd5ar

— Utah Fire Info (@UtahWildfire) June 15, 2021

Mescal and Telegraph Fires (Arizona)

The Telegraph Fire is now almost 2 weeks old and continues to burn in southern Arizona. Late Tuesday night, it jumped containment lines and more communities were forced to evacuate. Unfortunately, the containment of the fire (amount of the fire perimeter drawn) has dropped. It is now the 6th largest in Arizona state history.

Fire activity has reduced to moderate levels but with gusty winds, low humidity and scorching hot temperatures rapid fire growth can still be expected. The Mescal Fire is holding in size, but still is very active.

Smoke from fires burning across the four corners region will reduce air quality in many locations. Check your local offices for air quality information.

Outlook

Red Flag Warnings are in effect in Utah as gusty winds up to 35 mph, humidity in the single digits, and temperatures in the 90s and triple digits are expected. Fire weather conditions are critical here, which means fires can start and spread easily. A few thunderstorms could develop in the afternoon heat for portions of the desert southwest, producing more lightning than rain, leading to a fire start via lightning.

Fires – Northwest

The fire weather outlook extends into the northern United States into Montana. Red Flag warnings have been issued. There were a few large fire starts, including the Robertson Draw Fire near Red Lodge in southern Montana. Evacuations are in place for this large wildfire. It is up to 21,000 acres as of Wednesday morning.

The #RobertsonDrawFire continues to burn in #Montana as it has grown to around 2,000 acres since it originated on Sunday. Stay with @WeatherNation as we watch this fire and other burning throughout the West. #mtwx pic.twitter.com/azPRyBrAiT

— WeatherNation (@WeatherNation) June 16, 2021

For the latest on the fires, be sure to tune into WeatherNation 50 minutes past the hour during your west regional forecast.