Three weeks after it started, the Babylon Fire has burned more than 106,000 acres of forest in the mountains outside Monticello, Utah, a town of about 2,000 people in the southeastern part of the state. Residents have been on standby to evacuate for days. Federal agencies have spent nearly $42 million fighting the fire and brought in more than 1,500 firefighters, along with helicopters, air tankers, and drones, according to a report by NPR.
The fire started June 26 under dangerous conditions. Dry weather and 50-mile-per-hour winds drove it across the landscape at a staggering pace.
"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."
The fire initially spread through federal land inside the Manti-LaSal National Forest. By July 6, a column of dark smoke appeared just west of town. Dunn described the scene from his yard that afternoon.
"It literally (looked) like there's been an atomic explosion back there," Dunn said. "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, Dunn fielded calls from residents demanding answers. "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?'" he said. "I said, 'well, get your stuff ready to go. If we need to leave, we'll leave.'"
Resident Bonnie Des Rosiers, who moved to Monticello from Florida about 25 years ago, said she and others have been packed and waiting. "We've been ready to go for over a week," she said. "Luckily it hasn't gotten to the go stage." She watched neighbors fill their cars with as many belongings as they could carry. "It's your whole life," she said. "You hate to think of it going up in flames."
Crews carved a firebreak through oak brush west of Monticello to slow the fire's advance. Then thunderstorms rolled in and brought some relief. The fire is now 54 percent contained. For the past week, dozens of Monticello residents have gathered each evening on the west edge of town to thank firefighters as their trucks return from the Abajo Mountains.
Mack MacFarland, who has 34 years of firefighting experience, recently took over leadership of the federal response. At a July 13 community meeting, he reminded residents that the danger is not over. He noted that just weeks ago, three firefighters died in the Knowles Fire in western Colorado.
