SAN JUAN COUNTY, Utah, July 4, 2026 (Gephardt Daily) — The Babylon Fire has grown to 87,554 acres, and remains uncontained.
The fire was discovered on June 26, burning in the Manti-La Sal National Forest, 25 miles southwest of Monticello.
Five structures have been destroyed by fire. Resources assigned include 730 personnel, 18 crews, seven helicopters, 23 engines, two dozers and five water tenders, according to information shared by the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office.
“Firefighters made good progress yesterday with suppression efforts around homes, ranch structures, and historical sites while utilizing both direct extinguishment strategies where possible and indirect confinement strategies,” the Saturday update says.
“In the northwestern area, safety preparation around local trailheads and historical sites is fully complete, allowing resources to shift west into the basin country to scout the fire’s edge. To the north, crews confirmed that protective measures around ranch properties are finished while they continue to clear away dry brush and vegetation along the road systems in those areas. On the northeastern side, fire crews improved defensive lines and worked to protect vulnerable structures threatened by the fire.
“In the southeast, the fire is slowly creeping through continuous vegetation just over a mile from structures where crews and fire engines are actively clearing defensive lines along road systems in the area. To the south towards the heel of the fire, helicopters were fully engaged, dropping water to cool down hot spots and support the ground operations.
Babylon Fire. Image: Inciweb
On Saturday, “firefighters will continue road preparation, utilize direct extinguishment as needed, and push further into the country along the western perimeter while strategizing how to safely contain the perimeter where the fire edge has been nearly stationary for the last three days.”
Weather and Fire Behavior:
On Saturday, temperatures are “near seasonal averages, however, tomorrow will be even hotter and drier, likely marking the driest day of the week. This extreme dryness, combined with an unstable atmosphere, will naturally increase the potential for the fire to flare up and create large smoke columns, particularly in thick stands of pine and timber which will be highly visible to the communities of Monticello and Blanding.
“General winds will blow out of the southwest, but because overhead winds are weakening, local airflow will be heavily dictated by the rugged terrain. Looking ahead to early next week, a chance of dry thunderstorms could bring lightning and erratic winds, with little to no relieving rainfall expected over the fire area.”
To facilitate ongoing suppression operations and mitigate significant safety hazards associated with the Babylon Fire, comprehensive Emergency Area Closures have been implemented by jurisdictional agencies. Under formal closure orders, all National Forest System lands, roads, and trails within the Monticello Ranger District of the Manti-La Sal National Forest are closed to public entry, alongside a total administrative closure of The Needles District within Canyonlands National Park.
Furthermore, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has executed an emergency closure for all BLM-administered public lands situated west of Harts Draw Road, extending north through the Indian Creek Corridor to Indian Creek Falls, encompassing Shay Mesa, Beef Basin, Dark Canyon, and the Sweet Alice Wilderness Study Area. Non-operational personnel must strictly avoid areas closed due to fire and all public lands bounded by State Route 211 to the north, U.S. Route 191 to the east, and State Route 95 to the south.
