Fire tares through Utah forest as multiple states issue warnings

In the US, Utah is in a state of emergency as a massive fire spreads through close to 30,000 hectares of tinder-dry forest.

Hot, dry and windy conditions are expected to fuel the flames in the coming days.

Little relief is on the horizon as forecasters say the weather could hamper efforts to catch up with the fast-moving Cottonwood Fire.

Wildfire activity intensifies across the western United States, as consecutive days of hot, dry and windy weather fuel flames in Utah, Arizona and elsewhere as new fires popped up across the region.

The largest blaze, the Cottonwood Fire, has been burning in rugged terrain in southwest Utah, prompting a declaration of state of emergency and a ban on fireworks ahead of the Fourth of July.

It ballooned to more than 373 square kilometres after marching through canyons and mountainsides, destroying parts of a ski resort and other summer cabins along the way.

Authorities in Beaver County say hundreds of firefighters have been arriving in the arid state to battle new starts and growing fires as temperatures and winds could work both ways to kindle or curb the flames.

One resident says he hasn't been able to visit his cabin since the fire broke, but expects it to have been engulfed in flames. Still, he's grateful for the firefighting efforts the state has put into motion.

With extreme conditions persisting, power lines serving Beaver County and other areas have been shut off and residents are put on notice as the fast-moving fire could trigger further evacuations.

Utah's record-low snowpack and its warmest winter on record set the stage for one of the largest fires the state has seen in years.

Red flag warnings are also in effect for parts of California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado.