MONTICELLO, Utah — Every night for the past week, residents have gathered on a street cheering, waving and holding signs that tell firefighters coming off the front lines of the Babylon Fire, "thank you."
"I couldn’t be more thankful to those men and women who are putting themselves in danger for our little community and we wanted to say thanks," said Adriann Goodwine.
It appears to be a morale boost for the more than 1,300 firefighters battling what is currently the nation's largest wildfire. Some roll down their windows and wave back, while fire trucks honk their horns in appreciation.
"They’ve been here for two weeks and they’ve worked really hard," Cheryl Lewis told FOX 13 News. "And we’re really appreciative of that."
Monticello has been threatened by the Babylon Fire since it first ignited. So has nearby Blanding. The communities have anxiously watched a massive plume of smoke just over a mountain get closer and closer, even as fire crews worked to keep the massive flames at bay. On Tuesday, firefighters reported they had achieved 50% containment.
But the Babylon Fire — dubbed a "megafire" because of its size at more than 106,000 acres — has been tough to fight.
"Extreme fire behavior in rough, rugged country," said Karl Hunt, a spokesperson for the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire & State Lands. "Extreme weather conditions."
On Monday night, firefighters got a little relief in the form of monsoonal moisture moving across southeastern Utah. At a community meeting in Monticello, residents were appreciative of the rains and the efforts of fire crews.
"We’ve been really worried as it turned east toward us here in Monticello," Doug Wright told FOX 13 News. "But they’re going to get a handle on it so it’s going to be OK."
There is still risk to nearby communities. Hunt pleaded with people across Utah to exercise "fire sense" as the state is dealing with multiple large wildfires that have evacuated entire communities.
"When you’re out there, just make a conscious decision to not put a spark on the landscape. Because we’ve seen over the past couple of months a small spark can turn into a really big wildfire," he said.
Moonsoon storms, while welcome, also pose their own problems. About an hour north of Monticello in Moab? The city is offering free sandbags to residents to prepare for the potential for flash flooding.
"We encourage residents to get them now," said Levi Jones, Moab's Public Works director. "Don't wait until the rain comes."
Moab has experienced some significant flash floods in recent years. Sandbag stations are set up around town. Jones also urged residents to sign up for emergency alerts.
"We've been doing this the last three years," Jones said of sandbagging. "This will be our practice moving forward."
