- A new wildfire, dubbed the Bismark Fire, burns 50 acres in Utah County.
- The Monroe Canyon Fire, Utah's largest this year, is now fully contained.
- Some fire restrictions lifted, but 80% of Utah remains in severe drought.
ELBERTA, Utah County — Wildfire crews are battling a small wildfire that sparked in western Utah County on Friday, serving as a reminder that the wildfire season isn't quite over yet.
Air and ground crews have been dispatched to battle the Bismark Fire, which has burned approximately 50 acres, the Bureau of Land Management reported Friday afternoon. It's unclear how the fire started, but structures are not threatened.
Monroe Canyon Fire fully contained
Meanwhile, Utah's largest fire this season is now 100% contained after burning 73,721 acres in Sevier County. Federal firefighters announced Friday morning that they reached full containment of the Monroe Canyon Fire, allowing them to transfer command back to Fishlake National Forest staff.
The communities of Bagley Ranch, Bear Valley, Manning, Monroe, Magleby, Guard Station, Long Flat and Porters were reopened to landowners, as well. A reduced forest closure will go into effect on Saturday.
The fire broke out on July 13, quickly burning thousands of acres and multiple cabins in the area. Firefighters initially ruled that the fire was human-caused but have since listed its origin as unknown. It remains under investigation.
After some storms slowed its growth, extreme fire conditions in late July and early August helped it balloon in size, destroying a dozen power poles in its path. But firefighters were able to gain the upper hand, especially after stopping the fire from jumping over state Route 24, which they said likely would have sparked even larger fire growth.
Rain and milder weather conditions also returned to the area in recent weeks, aiding operations. Approximately 118 personnel were still assigned to the fire on Friday, finishing up work around the fire.
The fire is the state's largest since the 2020 East Fork Fire burned 89,765 acres in Duchesne County. In all, more than 930 fires have burned over 163,500 acres this year. The number of acres burned in Utah this year is more than the amount of land that burned in all the fires in 2022, 2023 and 2024 combined.
Some Utah fire restrictions lifted
Some fire restrictions are also being lifted in the state. All Stage 1 fire restrictions ordered for the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache and Ashley national forests will expire on Saturday, about a month after the two became the last public lands to enter into any fire restrictions this year.
Federal foresters still urge caution, though, as recent rain has improved drought conditions slightly. Nearly 80% of the state remains in severe or extreme drought, down about 1.3 percentage points from last year, per the U.S. Drought Monitor. That means many areas remain drier than usual.
"Although fire restrictions will be lifted, the potential for wildfire is always a risk," U.S. Forest Service officials said.
People are urged to fully extinguish all campfires, while the use of any fireworks, tracer ammunition or other incendiary devices is always banned on federal lands.
