Utah's Cottonwood Fire tops 71,000 acres at zero containment; Extremely Critical fire weather hits Utah, Arizona, and Nevada; CISA adds two actively exploited vulnerabilities
Episode 201 •
26th June 2026 • EM Morning Brief • Brian Colburn
Today’s brief leads with escalating Western wildfire activity: Utah’s Cottonwood Fire is the nation’s largest at roughly 71,000 acres with zero containment and active evacuations, the Iron Fire keeps Eureka under a Level 3 order, and the Storm Prediction Center posts an Extremely Critical fire weather outlook for parts of Utah, Arizona, and Nevada. We also cover flash flooding and flood watches from Kansas into Missouri and Oklahoma, building dangerous heat across the southern and central U.S., CISA’s addition of two actively exploited vulnerabilities to its catalog, and an FDA Class I recall of Medline surgical kits. EM Morning Brief is your concise daily update on national and state-by-state emergency management news. Produced by Sitch Radio, an EOC Voices podcast.
Key Takeaways
• Western wildfire surge: NIFC holds the nation at Preparedness Level 3 with 37 large uncontained fires; Utah’s Cottonwood Fire (about 71,000 acres, 0 percent contained) leads the country with extreme behavior and active evacuations.
• Extremely Critical fire weather: SPC flags parts of central and southwestern Utah, northwest Arizona, and extreme southeastern Nevada for today, with 25 to 35 mph winds and 5 to 15 percent humidity.
• Utah evacuations: Level 3 “Go” orders remain for several Beaver-area communities (Cottonwood Fire) and for the Town of Eureka (Iron Fire, about 40,445 acres, 26 percent contained).
• Central U.S. flooding: Flood warnings and watches span Kansas, Missouri, and northeastern Oklahoma, with road closures in western Kansas and a flash flood threat into southwestern Missouri.
• Building heat: Dangerous heat expands across the southern and central U.S. this weekend and pushes east next week, with widespread 90s.
• CISA KEV additions: Two actively exploited vulnerabilities added June 25, CVE-2026-12569 (PTC Windchill/FlexPLM) and CVE-2026-20230 (Cisco Unified CM SSRF); federal agencies must remediate.
• FDA Class I recall: Medline recalls more than 6,500 cardiovascular procedure kits and more than 500 general surgery trays over anesthetic quality issues, the FDA’s most serious recall category.
So far this year, 35,118 fires have burned more than 2.9 million acres, exceeding the 10 year averages for both fires and acres burned.
Speaker A:
The Storm Prediction center has posted an extremely critical fire weather outlook for parts of central and southwestern Utah, northwest Arizona and extreme southeastern Nevada for today as southwest winds of 25 to 35 miles combine with relative humidity of 5 to 15%.
Speaker A:
The largest fire in the nation is the Cottonwood fire near Beaver, Utah at roughly 71,000 acres and 0% containment, with the assigned team reporting extreme fire behavior and active evacuations.
Speaker A:
Governor Cox has said it may already be the most destructive fire in the state's history.
Speaker A:
Severe weather and flooding remain the central US Concern.
Speaker A:
Rounds of heavy rain bring a flash flooding threat from southern Kansas into southwestern Missouri, with flood warnings and watches in effect across Kansas, Missouri and northeastern Oklahoma, and numerous road closures reported in western Kansas.
Speaker A:
Dangerous heat builds across the southern and central US this weekend, then expands eastward into next week with widespread readings in the 90s across much of the eastern half of the country.
Speaker A:
On the cyber and public health front, CISA added two vulnerabilities to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog on June 25 based on evidence of active exploitation, a PTC windchill and Flex PLM improper input validation flaw and a Cisco Unified Communications Manager server side request forgery flaw.
Speaker A:
Federal civilian agencies are directed to remediate separately.
Speaker A:
The FDA classified a MEDLINE recall of more than 6,500 cardiovascular procedure kits and more than 500 general surgery trays as Class 1 on June 25, the agency's most serious category citing quality issues with the lidocaine and bupivacaine anesthetics included in the kits.
Speaker A:
Let's run through the Arizona the Pocket Fire about seven miles north of Sedona in Oak Creek Canyon, stands at 1,187 acres and 0% containment, with 927 personnel assigned.
Speaker A:
Oak Creek Canyon between Sedona and Forest Highlands has been reduced from GEO to CET and State Route 89A remains closed in that stretch.
Speaker A:
Northwest Arizona is included in today's extremely critical fire weather outlook.
Speaker A:
Colorado the Dry Creek Fire near Rifle holds at about 316 acres and 35% containment.
Speaker A:
Evacuation orders have been lifted for some areas, including a Mesa county notice, though portions of Gage Road and County Road 319 remain under evacuation.
Speaker A:
Kansas Flash flooding has hit several counties after heavy rain, with flood warnings in effect for portions of southwest and west central Kansas, including Finney, Hodgman, Lane, Ness and Scott counties.
Speaker A:
Numerous roads remain closed due to high water.
Speaker A:
Flood watches are in effect for numerous western and central Missouri counties through 7am Friday with impactful flash flooding possible across the southwestern part of the state as repeated rounds of storms move through Nebraska.
Speaker A:
The South Fork Fire in Sioux county has reached 38,914 acres and is 64% contained, per the National Situation Report.
Speaker A:
Nevada Extreme southeastern Nevada is included in today's extremely critical fire weather outlook with strong winds and very low humidity raising the risk of rapid fire spread.
Speaker A:
New Mexico the Bear Fire in Catron county has burned 7,769 acres and is 35% contained, per the National Situation Report.
Speaker A:
Oklahoma A flood watch remains in effect for most of northeastern Oklahoma until 7am Friday with additional rainfall of 1 to 2 inches and locally 4 inches or more expected through Friday morning.
Speaker A:
The Cottonwood Fire near Beaver is the nation's largest at roughly 71,000 acres and 0% containment, with Level 3 GO evacuations for Hilo Estates, Merchant Valley, Eagle Point Resort and Arrowhead summer homes and continued extreme fire behavior.
Speaker A:
The Iron Fire burning northwest of Eureka in Wab and Tuille counties stands at about 40,445 acres and 26% containment with 519 personnel assigned and a level 3 evacuation order remaining in place for the town of Eureka.
Speaker A:
No homes have been lost to the iron Fire.
Speaker A:
in the national situation the:
Speaker A:
All other states and territories have no significant updates in the last 24 hours that wraps today's EM Morning Brief.
Speaker A:
New episodes drop Monday through Friday in the 5am hour PT, so the day starts with clarity instead of catch up.
Speaker A:
Subscribe on the Emergency Management Network on Substack or follow on your favorite podcast player.
