SerpApi.Org
On Sunday, July 19, around a month after the Cottonwood Fire torched Eagle Point Resort, Utah, flowing debris seriously damaged or completely washed away parts of State Route 153, a mountain access road east of Beaver, which now faces an indefinite closure.
The damage, detailed in a UDOT statement, follows heavy rain and flooding that impacted homes and prompted evacuations in Beaver.
A hard road closure begins outside town near milepost 7.5, with the most severe damage concentrated between mileposts 7.5 and 10.5, UDOT said.
Near milepost 14, floodwater undercut the highway and washed approximately half of the roadway into the river, according to the agency.
UDOT noted that the full extent of the damage is not yet known. Crews are assessing it from the ground and air, and UDOT said it’s working with Beaver County, Beaver City, public-safety agencies, Eagle Point Resort, and other partners to develop a repair plan as quickly as possible.
UDOT advised motorists and property owners not to drive up the road on either side of the mountain. When it's open, State Route 153, a seasonal highway, is mostly used for recreation and access to mountain properties. It stretches between Beaver and Eagle Point before reaching U.S. 89.
The agency also said that the burn scar left behind by the Cottonwood Fire—which is now 90% contained per the latest update on InciWeb—significantly increases the risk of flash flooding and debris flows.
“If we have another storm, water and debris could come down the canyon again and cause additional damage,” UDOT Region 4 deputy director Jared Beard said in the statement. “We’ve been seeing thunderstorms every afternoon, and right now, neither side of the mountain is safe.”
Beard added that with State Route 153 washed out, UDOT’s main priority is protecting I-15 and Beaver’s Main Street.
“Every day, we are watching the skies, and our team is primed to react to any other changes,” he said.
The Cottonwood Fire hit Eagle Point late last month, burning through a significant chunk of the resort. According to a social media post shared by Eagle Point on June 29, about 300 of the ski resort’s 600 acres were impacted, with four out of five chairlifts sustaining damage.
Canyonside Lodge, one of two day lodges, along with more than 100 condos and 30 cabins, also burned, said Eagle Point, noting in the post that these initial observations “only reflect part of the picture.”
In the wake of the fire, Eagle Point’s owner Shane Gadbaw launched BeaverTUF, a nonprofit dedicated to recovery efforts in the community and areas impacted by the fire, working to address needs that insurance, FEMA, or other assistance programs may not cover.
To learn more about BeaverTUF or make a donation, click here.
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