Beaver City Council declares local emergency after Cottonwood wildfire

Beaver City on Wednesday adopted a local state of emergency in response to the Cottonwood wildfire, authorizing immediate protective measures, emergency repairs and streamlined procurement procedures to address fire and post-fire flood risks.

The council voted to adopt Resolution R 6 24 2026 after the presiding official read findings that the wildfire has caused substantial damage within Beaver County, has impaired municipal electrical infrastructure and poses imminent threats of flooding, debris flows, erosion and other hazards to life, property and public infrastructure. The resolution cites state law as authority for the mayor and council to declare the emergency and commits city staff to coordinate with county, state, federal and utility partners.

The declaration authorizes the mayor, city staff, emergency management personnel and public works to take "all reasonable and necessary actions" to protect life and property, conduct emergency repairs and stabilization of electrical, utility, transportation and drainage infrastructure, acquire equipment and services, and implement temporary flood- and debris-mitigation measures such as barriers and sandbagging. The resolution also allows the use of emergency procurement procedures consistent with Utah law and federal grant requirements (including 2 CFR part 200) and requires detailed recordkeeping of expenditures, labor, equipment use and contracts.

The presiding official told residents that firefighting resources are on the ground (Great Basin team 5) and that the incident is the state's top priority. He said the fire remained active and, at the most recent briefing referenced in the meeting, containment was 0% and acreage estimates had surpassed about 60,000 acres. He said statistics were being prepared for public release but that the government intends to notify property owners individually before broad publication.

During public comment, Paul Floyd, a resident of Eagle Point Resort, asked why the city had not confirmed structure losses despite on-the-ground reports that many buildings may have been destroyed. "We haven't heard about a single structure loss. Nothing has been confirmed. And yet we know from on the ground reports that maybe a half or 3 quarter of these buildings have been destroyed. Why is it so hard to find out the extent of the damage?" Floyd asked. The presiding official responded that active fire conditions complicate assessment, that statistics are being prepared for release, and that a public meeting for the general population would be held tomorrow at 7 p.m.; a location was not specified during the meeting.

Mandy Taylor, owner of Alganda Cafe, identified herself during public comment and said she was "server trained" and available to help if called upon.

The resolution directs the city recorder, treasurer and finance personnel to document all emergency activities and to transmit the filed resolution to Beaver County Emergency Management (Les Whitney). The declaration takes effect immediately upon execution by the mayor and expires after 30 days unless extended by majority council vote.

The council adopted the declaration by roll call; the presiding official announced the resolution as adopted and the meeting adjourned. The city encouraged neighbors to check on one another and announced it will coordinate with county and state partners as relief and mitigation efforts continue.