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

People in Monticello, Utah have been tense and preparing to evacuate since shortly after the Babylon fire started June 26th

<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/1536x2048+0+0/resize/1536x2048!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F91%2Fb8%2F902e87f64ff1bf43b86da566ad12%2F1000001260.jfif' alt='The Babylon fire burns on the Manti-La Sal National Forest outside Monticello, Utah July 6, 2026'/><p>People in Monticello, Utah have been tense and preparing to evacuate since shortly after the Babylon fire started June 26th </p><p>(Image credit: Inciweb)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=nx-s1-5892509' />