Babylon Fire closure area reopened after burning for nearly 2 months

EPHRAIM — The Babylon Fire reached 100% containment after burning more than 100,000 acres, prompting the U.S. Forest Service to rescind the special closure area for the Manti-La Sal National Forest on Thursday.

The Monticello Ranger District was reopened, meaning all lands within the area are open to the public, according to Forest Service Public Affairs Officer Holly Shyrer.

The Babylon Fire began naturally on June 25 and burned 107,189 acres before the U.S. Forest Service announced it was 100% contained on Friday. This does not mean the fire is completely out. Rather, the fire has been surrounded by a combination of natural and man-made firebreaks, meaning it is unlikely to continue to grow beyond the containment lines.

While the land is open for public use, isolated pockets of smoke may still be visible throughout the area. Forest Service personnel will continue to work in the previously closed area to prevent new wildfire starts.

Shyrer told KSL it's important to check the weather and have good situational awareness if a person chooses to go into one of these areas.

While the roads within the previously closed areas had been cleared of fallen logs, Shyrer said standing dead trees "may be a bit unstable" and fall if a person gets too close.

Multiple structures were lost in the fire, which surpassed 100,000 acres on July 7, becoming the first fire to do so in eight years. In early July, the Babylon Fire was near the top of the largest active fires list in the U.S., per the National Interagency Fire Center.

Preliminary research released Aug. 5 from the University of Utah's School of Environment, Society and Sustainability found the Babylon Fire contributed to the nearly 290,000 acres of woodland and forested land combined that have already burned this year, more than in any other year on record.

The entire Manti-La Sal National Forest remains under stage two fire restrictions, which are designed to ensure public safety and reduce the risk of new wildfire starts.

These restrictions prohibit:

• Campfires, charcoal grills, wood stoves, smudge pots and briquette-fueled fires
• Chainsaws or other internal combustion equipment used for cutting, road work or wood gathering
• Smoking outdoors
• Welding, grinding or using open-flame torches
• Driving or parking off designated routes (unless on bare ground within 10 feet)
• Exploding targets, fireworks or pyrotechnics
• Blasting or the use of explosives
• Tracer or incendiary ammunition
• Operating engines without proper spark arrestors.

Other activities are available under the restrictions, including:

• Gas or liquid-fueled stoves, grills or fire pits with on/off switches (with 10 feet of cleared space)
• Smoking inside an enclosed vehicle or building
• Parking only in designated areas or on ground completely free of vegetation
• Activities authorized under Project Activity Levels
• Official duties by Federal, State or Local emergency personnel

Other wildfires

Utah's 10 largest fires this year have already cost nearly $217M to battle

More than 500,000 acres across the state have burned during the 2026 Fire Season, according to Utah Fire Info. Several of the season's largest wildfires continue to burn across the state.

• The Cottonwood Fire, which began on June 22, has burned 97,464 acres and has reached 95% containment.
• The Widemouth 2 Fire, which began naturally on July 27, has burned 129,741 acres and has reached 93% containment.
• The Black Canyon Fire, which began naturally on July 30, has burned 3264 acres and has reached 51% containment.
• The Rocky Canyon Fire, which was human-caused and began on Aug. 7, has burned 16,464 acres and has reached 88% containment.
• The Dugway Fire, which began on Wednesday, has burned approximately 20 acres and has reached 90% containment.

Lucas Minton, wildland fire chief for Weber Fire District, said Thursday the Dugway Fire in Weber Canyon poses "minimal to no threat" to the public. However, he said it will continue to emit smoke as firefighters extinguish burning debris piles inside the burn area.

"People are going to see that from the interior of the fire but it's in the interior of the fire, no threat," Minton said. No damage to structures was reported due to the blaze.

Contributing: Tim Vandenack and Bryanna Willis

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