The Babylon Fire burning in southeast Utah crossed a critical threshold on Tuesday, with firefighters still working to contain it.
The fire has burned over 102,000 acres in the Manti-Lasal National Forest and sits at 21% containment as of Thursday morning, according to crews on the fireline. It’s the first Utah wildfire to cross the 100,000 acres burned figure in 8 years, when the Pole Creek Fire burned around 102,000 acres after merging with the Bald Mountain Fire in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest in 2018.
Upcoming weather conditions pose risks of fire expansion, particularly in the fire’s northeast corner, crews said in their Thursday update. Dry air, excessive heat and winds reaching up to 24 mph are leading crews to anticipate high-momentum runs in the heavily fuel-driven incident.
Numerous residents in San Juan County were put under a SET evacuation order on Thursday ahead of the fire’s possible expansion.
“Now is the time to gather important documents, medications, and essential items, fuel your vehicle, and make a plan for your family, pets, and livestock,” county officials said during a Thursday conference. “We also encourage you to contact family or friends now to see if you can stay with them should your area move to GO Status. If you do not have family or friends to stay with, don’t worry—a temporary shelter location will be identified and announced if a GO evacuation becomes necessary.”
Crews increased overall containment of the fire from 11% Wednesday night to 21% Thursday morning as firefighters continue preparing fire lines overnight.
Crews are also fighting a near-100,000-acre fire in the Fishlake National Forest. The Cottonwood Fire has burned over 96,000 acres and is on track to become the costliest fire in state history after it burned down 150 structures, including portions of Eagle Point Resort, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox told local news outlet KSL.
Click here for the latest information on the Babylon Fire and the Cottonwood Fire.
From the top, moving counter clockwise, the scars were left by the Iron Fire, the Cherry Fire, the Cottonwood Fire, and the Babylon Fire. Several smaller burn scars can be seen scattered in the vegetation, especially northeast of the Cottonwood Fire.
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