Utah Eureka evacuated as Iron Fire burns 13,000 acres

A wind-driven wildfire forced the evacuation of a small Utah town on Sunday as extreme heat and dry conditions fueled multiple blazes across the Western United States. The Iron Fire in Juab County, which officials said was human-caused, had burned more than 13,000 acres and remained uncontained, threatening structures and prompting mandatory evacuation orders for the town of Eureka and nearby ranches.

The fire, which began on private land Friday night, grew rapidly over the weekend, driven by shifting winds and drought-parched vegetation. By Sunday, it had spread across multiple counties and onto federal land, forcing the closure of a section of U.S. Highway 6. Firefighters conducted backburn operations and focused on structure protection, which officials said successfully prevented any homes from being lost in Eureka, a town of approximately 1,000 residents southwest of Salt Lake City. Evacuation orders remained in effect Sunday, with a shelter established at a church meetinghouse in Elberta.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox visited the affected area on Sunday, stating the state was deploying all available resources. "We knew that there was going to be extreme fire danger, and sure...