Fear and hope in Utah in the shadow of America's largest wildfire

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The Babylon fire burns on the Manti-La Sal National Forest outside Monticello, Utah July 6, 2026 Inciweb hide caption

Since it started three weeks ago the Babylon Fire has consumed more than 106,000 acres of forest in the mountains outside the town of Monticello, Utah. People there remain ready to evacuate at a moment's notice.

For the last week, dozens of Monticello residents have been gathering every evening on the west edge of town, to thank and support some of the hundreds of firefighters here when a long line of their trucks roll out of the Abajo Mountains.

People here have been through a lot since the Babylon Fire started June 26th, when dry conditions and 50 mile-per-hour winds blew the fire up quickly.

"The first few days it was moving 20,000 acres a day," said Monticello mayor Kevin Dunn. "Almost a thousand acres an hour. At that point it was completely uncontrollable."

Initially the fire grew inside a buffer of federal land on the Manti-LaSal National Forest. But by July 6 a roiling tower of dark smoke appeared just over the mountain a few miles west of the city.

"It literally (looked) like there's been an atomic explosion back there," Dunn said, remembering that afternoon. "There's lightning flashing everywhere from the particles in the upper atmosphere. The town was completely engulfed in ash. We had pine needles falling, leaves partially burned falling all over town. It was truly apocalyptic."

As he watched from his yard, Dunn fielded calls from anxious residents.

"I had several people calling me, you know, 'What are we doing mayor? What's happening? How are we going to protect our lives and our town?'" said Dunn. "I said, 'well, get your stuff ready to go. If we need to leave, we'll leave.'"

Officials put much of the town of about 2,000 people on notice: Be ready to evacuate immediately.

Kevin Dunn is the mayor of Monticello, Utah Adam Burke/KSUT hide caption

"We've been ready to go for over a week," said Bonnie Des Rosiers, who moved to Monticello from Florida about 25 years ago. "Luckily it hasn't gotten to the go stage."

Des Rosiers has watched some of her neighbors filling their cars with as many belongings as they could pack in.

"It's your whole life," she said. "You hate to think of it going up in flames."

To date, federal agencies have spent nearly $42 million dollars on the Babylon Fire, bringing in helicopters, air tankers, drones, and more than 1500 firefighters. Crews carved a firebreak in the oak brush west of Monticello.

Then the weather changed, thunderstorms rolled in. The fire is now 54% contained.

"Mother nature sprinkling a little water out there? I'll take it," said Mack MacFarland at a July 13 community meeting in Monticello.

With 34 years of firefighting experience, MacFarland recently took over leadership of the federal response to the Babylon Fire. He reminded the public at his first briefing for them, that just a few weeks ago, 3 firefighters died in the Knowles Fire in western Colorado.

"Interview after interview with people involved in that fire, said, 'I have never seen in all my years in fire the fuels and fire behavior that we saw there.'" MacFarland said. "So there's something different this year. I am not going to let down my guard because we have a little bit of rain out there."

But with moisture in the air, and less ominous smoke, Monticello residents are feeling optimistic.

People in Monticello, Utah show support for firefighters returning from their shifts battling the Babylon fire in the mountains west of town Adam Burke/KSUT hide caption

Last night, on the edge of town about 45 people cheered and waved homemade signs as firefighters came in from the mountains.

Some firefighters smile, honk their horns; others can barely muster an exhausted nod.

This has helped," said Adriann Goodwine, who lives in the neighborhood. "Coming out every night and saying thank you, and saying thank you, and seeing their faces and waving to them and showing them our love. That helped us get through."

As of Wednesday evening, the town of Monticello has lowered the evacuation warning, from "set" to "ready" status, which means residents still must be prepared to evacuate if necessary.

But the fire is still dangerous. How much longer it will threaten Monticello will depend on the weather.