- The Bonneville Fire in Salt Lake City remains at 566 acres with 43% containment.
- Firefighters expect increased fire activity due to hot, dry weather and low humidity.
- Public advised to avoid trails and flying drones near the fire for safety.
SALT LAKE CITY — A human-caused fire in Salt Lake City remained at 566 acres Monday after Salt Lake City firefighters asked residents nearby on Sunday to prepare to evacuate in case the fire grew closer to residents.
Firefighters lifted the READY status for the Arlington Hills neighborhood, meaning residents are ready to evacuate at a moment's notice. It was no longer a threat as of Monday afternoon.
Bonneville Fire Update - 1:15
— Salt Lake City Fire Department (@slcfire) June 22, 2026
Crews are still hard at work containing the fire. There will be a media brief at 3:00 to go over any new details. We have a couple of informational pieces to share.
The READY status for the Arlington Hills neighborhood has been LIFTED.
The fire, located above the University of Utah, was 43% contained, and Utah Fire Info said flames had slowed down after starting on Saturday. At a press conference on Monday, Salt Lake City Fire said containment is likely to increase as the day goes on.
"Fire quieted overnight, as clouds and humidity moved into the area," the Utah Fire Info said in a Facebook post. "While no rain fell, the moisture caused a decrease in fire behavior and (the) night shift saw little activity throughout the evening."
Crews took positions against the fire both on the ground and in the air, keeping the fire within a set perimeter and firefighters were ready to continue working on the fire throughout Monday.
Although the fire had slowed, Utah Fire Info said flames were likely to pick up again due to weather conditions.
"Today will be a hot, dry with temperatures in the 90s and very low humidity," the Utah Fire Info Facebook post on Monday states. "Once the sun hits the fire, it likely will pick up activity again with the heat."
Firefighters added that it was likely winds would also affect the fire in the afternoon, while hazards like rocks, steep terrain and even rattlesnakes had the potential to get in firefighters' way. At this time, SLCFD hasn't reported any injuries from this fire.
Utah Fire Info said nearby trails were still closed and asked people not to fly drones near the fire after a drone forced an aircraft to land while it was fighting the fire.
How people cause fires, and how we can avoid them
According to the Utah Department of Natural Resources, 85% of the fires started in 2026 have been caused by humans.
Bradley Washa, assistant professor of Wildland Fire Science at Utah State University, who has firefighter experience, said there are a lot of ways humans spark fires.
"People, a lot of times, think about campfires or smoking or fireworks or that sort of thing. That hasn't been the major cause of fires this year. It's been more open debris burning or ditch burning that escapes, firearms has been a large cause," Washa said.
He said vehicles are another common cause.
"People dragging chains with a trailer or parking a motor vehicle over grass that's dried out, and the catalytic converter and the exhaust system starts the fire," Washa said.
Washa said this year, at least 16 fires have been caused by firearms.
"People just need to be aware of what's behind what they're shooting at, and especially if there are rocks that a bullet can ricochet off of and start a spark, that's a common cause of fires," Washa said.
He said campfires have caused at least 11 fires this year.
"Someone started a campfire and then didn't properly (extinguish) it, or the embers lofted up and started a tree on fire," Washa said. "Usually it's people not taking enough water with them when they're out camping and dousing the fire and mixing it up and making sure that it's out."
He said smoking has only been identified as the cause of one fire, likely due to decreased cigarette smoking.
"We're not seeing people throwing cigarettes out of their vehicle, driving down the road like we once did," Washa said.
Fireworks that ignite fires are considered human-caused.
"So far this year, only two fires have been identified (as) being started by fireworks. Granted, we haven't gotten into the Fourth of July weekend or the 24th of July weekend, but we are seeing a number of communities actually, not only canceling the fireworks show, but outlawing fireworks," he said. "People really need to pay attention to where they live and look at what the current regulations are, because if you do cause a fire and it's because of illegal activity, and even if it's not illegal activity, you can be held responsible for the costs of those fires."
Washa said it's important to prevent human-caused fires that are started carelessly and recklessly, but there is a natural process to fires.
"We also need to realize that within Utah, most of our ecosystems have evolved because of wildland fire," he said. "Historically, anywhere from probably 60 to 40% of our fires are caused by lightning, and of course, this year, it's around 10% or so, but we really haven't gotten into that monsoonal season where we do see lightning-caused fires that are a natural part of the ecosystem. And we need to be aware of that. "
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