Utah burned more than 500,000 acres in 2026, the state's worst wildfire season since 2007, and Draper's location along the Wasatch foothills landed parts of the city on the state's new high-risk wildfire map.
The historic season killed six firefighters and aviators, destroyed 206 structures and produced three of the 10 largest wildfires in state history since 2002, ABC4 first reported on Friday, Sept. 25. J. Bradley Washa, Utah State University Extension assistant professor of wildland fire science, attributed the surge to record-low snowpack, ongoing drought, fuel accumulation and continued development in the wildland-urban interface.
Draper is part of that interface. The city confirmed in January that the state's new High-Risk Wildland Urban Interface map, required by House Bill 48 from the 2025 legislative session, includes locations in Draper. Roughly 60,000 structures statewide fall within the high-risk boundary, defined as the top 5% for wildfire risk.
The Draper City Fire Department held a public presentation April 15 to explain the map and answer resident questions. A recording is available on the Draper City YouTube page.
A season of megafires
Three 2026 blazes ranked among Utah's largest on record: the Widemouth 2 Fire (129,741 acres, Fishlake National Forest), the Babylon Fire (107,189 acres, Manti-La Sal National Forest) and the Cottonwood Fire (97,464 acres, Fishlake National Forest). The Cottonwood Fire alone destroyed 185 of the season's 206 structures and damaged Eagle Point Ski Resort.
Four wildland firefighters from the Rifle Helitack crew died June 27 when extreme fire behavior trapped them near the Utah-Colorado border. Two pilots died Aug. 7 when their Skycrane helicopter crashed during the Widemouth 2 Fire.
The season started unusually early. The Beaver Canyon Fire ignited Jan. 22 near Strawberry Reservoir in Wasatch County, an area that normally sits under deep snowpack in late January. Lightning caused 54% of Utah wildfires in 2026, above the 10-year average of 41%, according to Great Basin Coordination Center data.
Drought pushes bears into Utah communities
The same drought driving wildfires has pushed black bears into populated areas at record rates. The Utah Division of Wildlife Resources responded to 317 bear incidents statewide as of Friday, Sept. 25, nearly four times the 83 incidents logged in all of 2025, ABC4 reported. Seventy bears have been euthanized.
DWR game mammals coordinator Chad Wilson told the Deseret News in August that extreme conditions produced "… the highest number of bears in cities that we've ever had in Utah."
What Draper residents can do
Residents can check their property's wildfire risk score at wildfirerisk.utah.gov. USU Extension is also hosting a free five-part online series called Wildfire Ready Utah this fall. Remaining sessions run from 1 to 2 p.m.:
- Oct. 6: How wildfire response works behind the fire line
- Oct. 27: Lessons from Western communities impacted by wildfires
- Nov. 3: Wildfire insurance, featuring Utah Insurance Commissioner Jon Pike
- Nov. 17: The future of wildfire and communities
Washa wrote in a summary published by ETV News that even with a potential El Niño pattern boosting winter snowpack, accumulated fuels and continued development near wildlands will keep shaping future fire seasons. Draper residents can sign up for emergency alerts through Notify Draper at draperutah.gov.
