The Babylon Fire southwest of Monticello is listed at 103,633 acres and 25% contained as of Friday, July 10th at 3pm.
The fire started June 26. Its cause remains undetermined. Officials say five structures have been lost, and more than 1,500 personnel are assigned to the fire.
At a Thursday night community meeting in Monticello, fire officials said crews are gaining ground on several parts of the fire. But they said the eastern side of the fire remains the most urgent focus because of its proximity to Monticello, the local watershed, Abajo Communication Station, the windmill farm and other high-value community assets.
Monticello Mayor Kevin Dunn opened the meeting by acknowledging the anger, sadness and anxiety many residents are feeling as the fire continues to burn near town.
Dunn said the best response is for the community to stay involved, support firefighters and work together. He said firefighters have told him they are doing everything they can to protect the landscape and landmarks that matter to the community.
San Juan County Sheriff Lehi Lacy said the county moved zones on the west side of Monticello into SET status because the fire had approached management action points. He said those decisions are made with fire managers and emergency officials, based on fire behavior, weather and suppression efforts.
SET status does not mean residents should leave immediately. It means they should be ready in case the fire changes and an evacuation order becomes necessary.
Lacy urged residents to make a plan, contact family or friends, know where they would go and prepare essential items in advance.
San Juan County Emergency Manager Tammy Gallegos also clarified that residents do not have to go to an official shelter if they are evacuated. She said people should go wherever they will be safe and supported, whether that is with family, friends or another trusted place. Shelters are intended for people who have nowhere else to go.
Operations Section Chief Rich Stiles said crews have made progress around several parts of the fire, including the southern edge, the western side near Beef Basin and Dark Canyon, and portions of the northern edge.
But Stiles said crews remain especially focused on the eastern side of the fire, including the area officials have described as the “spear tip” of fire closest to Monticello-area values.
Crews are trying to hold that section of fire up on the mountain. If they cannot, Stiles said firefighters may need to fall back to prepared line along the 136 Road. But he emphasized that falling back to that road would not mean crews intend to use the entire indirect box around Monticello.
Instead, fire managers would look for opportunities to tie the fire back into itself and reduce the amount of land affected.
Stiles also described a “halo” of dozer lines, roads and other prepared features around town. He said those lines are intended to give firefighters multiple options if the fire continues moving east.
Fire behavior analyst Dana Skelly said the Babylon Fire remains heavily driven by dry fuels after years of drought. She said some recent moisture and cloud cover helped quiet parts of the fire, but that does not mean those areas are fully out.
Skelly also addressed the large smoke columns residents have seen from town. She said big columns can be alarming, but they do not always mean the fire is growing across a large number of acres. In higher-elevation timber, a concentrated pocket of heavy fuel can produce a large column without creating a major increase in the fire’s footprint.
Incident meteorologist Tom Schult said the next few days are expected to stay very hot and dry. An extreme heat warning is in effect for lower elevations this weekend.
Schult said winds are expected to shift late Sunday into Monday, with southeast flow bringing the first signs of monsoon moisture into the region. He said the transition could bring thunderstorms and some rainfall, but it may take time for the atmosphere to become moist enough to significantly slow the fire.
Incident Commander Tony Demasters said the Babylon Fire is the largest fire in the Great Basin right now. He said fire managers are using both direct and indirect strategies: going right to the fire’s edge where firefighters can do so safely, and building larger containment features where terrain and fire behavior require more room.
Demasters said the eastern side of the fire remains the priority because of the watershed, Monticello, communication infrastructure, the windmill farm and other community values.
Twenty-three evacuation zones remain in SET status near the Babylon Fire. Officials say those include all zones west of Highway 191, south of State Route 211 and north of State Route 95.
Major closures remain in place. All National Forest lands, roads and trails in the Monticello Ranger District of the Manti-La Sal National Forest are closed to the public. The Needles District of Canyonlands National Park is also fully closed.
The Bureau of Land Management has temporarily closed BLM-managed public lands west of Harts Draw Road and north through the Indian Creek Corridor to Indian Creek Falls. That includes areas such as Shay Mesa, Beef Basin, Dark Canyon and the Sweet Alice Wilderness Study Area.
Anyone not involved in firefighting operations should stay out of closure areas and avoid public lands within the boundary formed by State Route 211 to the north, U.S. Route 191 to the east and State Route 95 to the south.
Residents should continue checking San Juan County Emergency Management, the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office, the Manti-La Sal National Forest and Utah Fire Info for current evacuation and closure information.
