- A wildfire in San Juan County has burned 4,000 acres near La Sal.
- Evacuations were ordered, and state Route 46 was closed due to the fire.
- Critical fire weather persists, with strong winds and low humidity exacerbating conditions.
LA SAL, San Juan County — A wildfire sparked Thursday afternoon in San Juan County prompted evacuations in the community of La Sal and was burning 4,000 acres.
San Juan County officials said the fire started along Deer Creek Road just east of La Sal midafternoon. Within an hour, officials began ordering residents to evacuate.
Utah Department of Transportation later announced the closure of state Route 46 in both directions, starting 3 miles outside of La Sal.
Officials don't yet know what sparked the blaze — which state fire officials have named the Deer Creek Fire. It's burning on private land, officials said.
No structures have been damaged, but state fire officials said some homes are threatened.
"Please leave the area if you are near this incident. If you have been displaced because of this and need a place to get out of the heat, go to the Community Center in La Sal," reads a Facebook post from San Juan County.
The number of people evacuated from La Sal was not immediately available.
#DeerCreekFire Update
— Utah Fire Info (@UtahWildfire) July 11, 2025
The fire has rapidly grown to an est. 200-600 acres.
Emergency crews are actively responding. Please avoid the area and follow official evacuation notices. pic.twitter.com/hNQ8Q3WRel
Strong wind gusts up to 35 mph and relative humidity levels as low as 6% to 11% have created "critical fire weather" throughout southeast Utah, according to the National Weather Service's Grand Junction, Colorado, office. It issued a red flag warning for areas of Utah east of the Colorado River, including San Juan County, through the end of the day Thursday.
"This is where we have high fire danger today with the heat (and) the wind," said KSL meteorologist Kristen Van Dyke.
Friday could be less breezy across most of the region, but hot and dry conditions are forecast throughout the weekend, Van Dyke added. That means red flag conditions could linger into the weekend.
Long-range weather models indicate that the pattern could shift by the following weekend, as monsoons may return to the state and help reduce fire conditions.
Contributing: Ivy Farguheson and Carter Williams
