This is your daily news rundown for Monday, Aug. 3. In this edition:
- Eagle Point Resort canceled its upcoming season because of wildfire damage
- A mislabeled kratom product is linked to a death in Utah
- A wildfire in Millard County got 10 times bigger over the weekend
Eagle Point Resort canceled its upcoming season because of wildfire damage
Extensive damage from the Cottonwood Fire forced Eagle Point Resort to cancel its upcoming season.
The massive Cottonwood Fire destroyed hundreds of acres of ski terrain, as well as ski lift infrastructure, cabins, and condominiums.
Though that fire has been contained, significant work remains to repair the resort. Flooding from monsoonal rains has also limited access to the resort, which has slowed recovery efforts.
In its announcement on Monday, Eagle Point said it would offer full refunds or transfers to those who have already purchased season passes.
A mislabeled kratom product is linked to one death in Utah
Mislabeled kratom products are linked to a death and several severe health incidents in Utah.
According to the Utah Poison Control Center, multiple flavors of Buzzers Cat’s Claw tablets were found to contain kratom alkaloids, but weren’t labeled as such.
Kratom is an herbal substance that can produce opioid-like effects. Utah banned selling any kratom products except pure leaf earlier this year.
The Poison Control Center said they’ve seen an increase of kratom-related calls about these cat’s claw products. The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food confirmed one man died after using the product.
Those agencies are warning people not to buy or consume Buzzers Cat’s Claw tablets. Retailers were also asked to pull those products from shelves.
This western Utah fire got 10 times bigger over the weekend
The Widemouth 2 Fire in Millard County grew significantly and forced evacuations over the weekend.
On Sunday, the fire was so active and dangerous that firefighters focused only on protecting people and property.
Residents in parts of Fillmore and Kanosh were evacuated, with everyone else in those towns told to prepare to do the same if needed.
As a precaution, 40 incarcerated people at Millard County Jail were also moved to the Utah State Correctional Facility.
As of Monday afternoon, the fire has burned over 68,000 acres — 10 times the size it was on Friday.
