Fear and hope in Utah in the shadow of America's largest wildfire
The Babylon Fire in Utah has consumed over 106,000 acres, forcing residents of Monticello to remain on high alert for potential evacuation. Local officials and residents describe the scene as apocalyptic as they support firefighters battling the blaze.
Why it matters
The event underscores the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires in the American West, impacting small communities and local infrastructure.
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."
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