Not much remains of a cabin Saturday that was burnt by a wildfire on the west side of Panguitch Lake in Utah. The wildfire that grew Sunday morning has prompted the evacuation of more than 1,500 people.

SALT LAKE CITY — The nation’s largest wildfire has forced more than 1,500 people from their homes and cabins in a southern Utah mountain area home to a ski town and fishing lake.

Firefighters battled high winds as they fought a fire that has grown to 72 square miles and burned 13 homes — larger than any other fire in the country now, state emergency managers said.

Fire crews faced dry, windy conditions today and a “high potential” for extreme fire behavior, officials said.

The estimated firefighting costs now top $7 million for a fire started June 17 near the Brian Head Resort by someone using a torch tool to burn weeds, they said. Investigators said they know who the culprit is, but they haven’t yet released the person’s identity.

Crews in California, meanwhile, had to deal with two new powerful and fast-growing fires. Arizona firefighters had to ground aircraft because of unauthorized drones over a fire near Flagstaff.

The Utah fire began near the ski resort town of Brian Head, generally known for weekend getaway homes for Las Vegas residents. It has spread several miles east to an area around Panguitch Lake, a popular spot for fishing.

Authorities ordered more evacuations Monday in a sparsely populated area as stronger winds and lower humidity develop that could push fire growth north after calmer weather kept its growth in check over the weekend. The fire is about 10 percent contained.

About 175 people have been briefly allowed back to their homes near Panguitch Lake since Sunday under escort, said Denise Dastrup with the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office.

At Brian Head Resort, they are hoping that hot spots near where the blaze started will calm down enough to allow Fourth of July festivities that usually bring an estimated 15,000 people to listen to music and watch fireworks, resort spokesman Mark Wilder said. If possible at all, events likely will be scaled back — and with no fireworks.