- The Iron and Cherry fires in central Utah near full containment, leading to shift in fire oversight this weekend.
- The Babylon Fire in San Juan County has burned over 85,000 acres.
- Utah's 2026 fire season is now worst since 2018, with at least 337,000 acres burned.
EUREKA, Juab County — A federal firefighting team is planning to switch oversight of the Iron and Cherry fires burning in central Utah to local units this weekend as they near full containment on the blazes that caused evacuations last month.
The Iron Fire burning northwest of Eureka is now 98% contained after burning 41,842 acres, while the Cherry Fire, burning southwest of Mammoth, Juab County, is now 93% contained after burning 34,252 acres, Great Basin Complex Incident Management Team 3 officials reported on Friday.
Over 350 firefighters were assigned to the fire on Friday, led by the incident team, but the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands is slated to reassume command of the Iron Fire beginning Sunday evening. A local Bureau of Land Management district will oversee the Cherry Fire at that time, too, according to the incident team.
Repair work to minimize impacts caused by firefighting has already started on the Iron Fire and is about to get underway on the Cherry Fire.
It's a big win for two of the state's largest wildfires this year, which have burned side by side. The Iron Fire began from an unknown human cause on June 19, quickly threatening Eureka. Residents were evacuated as it burned approximately a mile from the city.
"We nearly lost the city of Eureka," Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson said two days later, "but thanks to the heroic efforts of many brave firefighters who defended the city throughout the night, things are looking much more hopeful today."
Residents briefly returned to their homes as some containment was made when thunderstorms passed through the region. Lightning sparked the Cherry Creek and Maple Peak fires on June 26. They soon merged under extreme fire conditions that day, blossoming to 20,000 acres, prompting another evacuation of Eureka, as well as Mammoth and Silver City in Juab County.
Residents are back in their homes now, but the fires created additional challenges for the crews battling the fires. Firefighters and other first responders received a notice that they may have been exposed to lead and other harmful substances when battling the Iron Fire near the historic Eureka Mills/Tintic mine, Great Basin Incident Management officials said on Wednesday.
The area is deemed a Superfund site by the Environmental Protection Agency, and firefighting activities could have disturbed the lead and other contaminants. It's unclear if anyone was affected by lead, but crews were urged to clean clothing they wore while battling fires in the area.
Hiskey, Cherry Creek and Elberta Slant roads remain closed until further notice, as the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service each maintain closure orders in the area.
Updates on other fires in Utah
More than 337,000 acres of land have burned across Utah this year, making it the state's worst fire year in terms of acreage since 2018.
Crews in southern Utah also gained more ground on the state's largest fire this year. Containment of the Cottonwood Fire in Beaver County has now reached 23%, the U.S. Forest Service reported Friday morning.
More than 1,200 people remain assigned to the fire that has burned nearly 94,000 acres and destroyed approximately 150 structures since it started on June 22. Another community meeting is scheduled for Friday night. It'll be held at Beaver High School (195 E. Center Street in Beaver) at 7 p.m.
A fire and fuels advisory was issued statewide because heat and low humidity are forecast for the holiday weekend, which could affect firefighting operations for the fire and others currently burning in the state.
Red flag conditions, where stiff winds add to those conditions to cause critical fire weather, are expected in southeast Utah, affecting firefighters battling the Babylon Fire, Great Basin Complex Incident Management Team 2 officials said on Friday. The fire in San Juan County has now burned more than 85,000 acres, doubling in size since Monday.
It remains 0% contained. It's quickly catching up to the Cottonwood Fire for the title of being the largest fire in the state this year, having destroyed at least four structures since it sparked on June 26.
Over 500 firefighters were assigned to the fire on Friday. Officials reported that they completed structure protection operations of a few cabins and ranches near the fire, seeking to avoid future destruction.
