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In this photo provided by the Hurricane Valley Fire District, the Monroe Canyon Fire blazes near Monroe, Utah, July 16, 2025. (Hurricane Valley Fire District via AP)

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In this photo provided by the Hurricane Valley Fire District, firefighters fill self-supporting tanks while working to subdue the Monroe Canyon Fire near Monroe, Utah, Friday, July 25, 2025. (Hurricane Valley Fire District via AP)

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It’s no surprise that it has been a busy and devastating wildfire season in Utah.

According to UtahFireInfo.gov, as of Sunday morning there had been 712 total fires in the state which had burned 135,899 total acres.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox signed an executive order on July 31 declaring a 30-day state of emergency in response to escalating wildfires across Utah. According to the press release, “the order, effective immediately, unlocks all available state resources to protect lives, homes, livestock and drinking-water supplies threatened by this year’s severe fire season.”

“Heroic efforts are underway as firefighters and emergency personnel work around the clock to save homes and neighborhoods,” Gov. Cox said in the release. “We are mobilizing every tool at our disposal to support them and keep Utahns safe.”

The release stated that suppression costs have exceeded $103 million and there have been 22 Red Flag Warning days, which are “marked by high winds, low humidity and critically dry fuels.”

Cox traveled to the Monroe Canyon fire, which is burning near Richfield and is the largest in the state, on Friday to receive an onsite briefing.

“This is a big one,” Cox said in the press conference on Friday. “It’s been a few years since we had one like this.”

According to an update in a press release on Sunday from the Great Basin Complex Incident Management Team, the Monroe Canyon fire has now burned 58,795 acres (43% of the burned area in the state this year) and is just 4% contained.

The release said that weather conditions on Sunday were supposed to be slightly improved for those battling the blaze, but it wasn’t expected to last.

The fire made three runs on Saturday, but prescribed burns, fire lines and retardant drops from the air limited the expansion, according to the release. The Fishlake National Forest has an Emergency Closure Order for the Monroe Canyon Fire for the general area north of Dry Creek Canyon Road (Forest Road 071).

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Cox grew up in Fairview, which is further north in Sanpete County, but said the central Utah connection makes him feel the impact on a personal level.

“These are my people,” Cox said. “I’m proud of the way they’ve responded. People who have lost properties have been the first to hug a firefighter and thank them for what they are doing. The support here has been incredible.”

He said that have a massive fire like this nearby is a constant strain for all residents.

“If you haven’t been impacted by a fire like this, it’s relentless,” Cox said. “It weighs on you every single day. We’re in for a long haul.”

Earlier this summer, the state dealt with large fires near St. George (the Forsyth fire has burned 15,677 acres but is now 99% contained) and near Moab (the Deer Creek fire has burned 17,724 acres but is now 93% contained).

While the Utah Valley has yet to have any large fire activity, there have been numerous small blazes and the area has at times been shrouded in smoky air from other western wildfires.

And with more hot, dry weather in the forecast, fire danger remains extremely high.

“It is important to remind people that these terrible conditions that are making it impossible for us to get ahead of this fire (the Monroe Canyon fire) exist in every corner of the state right now,” Cox said. “Everywhere we go, there is extreme fire danger.”

He explained that numerous local, state and national resources have come together to have more than 1,200 people working to fight the blaze — but that can only continue if no other large fires start.

“It would be very easy to have more fires like this one, so we need people to be incredibly cautious,” Cox said. “Please, please, please be careful.”

The governor said in a release that “‘fire sense’ saves lives and property by reducing sparks from everyday activities and helping firefighters focus on blazes ignited by lightning.”

The release on the state of emergency announcement added that “public safety and firefighter safety remain the top priority as Utah confronts the compounding threats of burn scars, debris flows, and post-fire flooding that linger long after the flames are out. The state of emergency will remain in effect for 30 days unless extended by the Legislature.”

Utah fire statistics info box

Total fires

712

Total acres burned

135,899

Human-caused fires

491

Human-caused acres burned

3,864

Natural-caused fires

135

Natural-caused acres burned

53,154

Unknown-caused fires

86

Unknown-caused acres burned

78,881

Source: UtahFireInfo.gov