Residents on other side of Cottonwood Fire now prepare for the worst
Originally Published: 29 JUN 26 13:59 ET
By Scott McKane
Click here for updates on this story
JUNCTION, Utah (KSTU) -- With flames from the Cottonwood Fire now visible on the Piute County side, and smoke filling the valley below, residents gathered Friday to go over emergency plans in case the situation gets worse and evacuations are ordered.
The meeting at Piute High School in Junction began somberly, with an emotional apology from one of the first responders who was on scene Monday.
"We did everything we absolutely could. We called for every bit of help we could find. And about all we could do was get people out of the way of it," said Nick Schenk with Great Basin Team 5.
But the dozens of people in attendance knew those responders were facing an uphill battle fighting the now historic Cottonwood Fire.
“Lots of anxiety, lots of worry, lots of stress," said resident Laramie Leavitt of what this week has been like.
Leavitt is one of the lucky ones, as he went to check on his family’s cabin early Friday and was amazed that anything survived.
“From what I’ve seen, I think [firefighters] are working hard and I’m pretty happy with that," he said. "Mother Nature is going to do what she’s gonna do.”
Like others, Leavitt realizes it’s not over yet.
“Friends and neighbors have come together. This is a great community. This is my home, this is your home, and by God we’re gonna defend it!” said Piute County Attorney Scott Burns.
Unfortunately, for everyone involved, things may get worse before they get better as the high, unpredictable winds are expected to kick up again throughout Saturday. It means it will be very difficult for crews on the ground and the planes and helicopters overhead to resume attacking the fire in earnest.
Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
