Salt Lake Tribune photos of the month for September 2018

September was busy in Utah with the State Fair, the start of football season and cooler days that allowed one to actually enjoy being outside.

But it was dry, and wildfires continued to burn throughout the month.

The Salt Lake Tribune photo staff spent its time gathering images of all the top news in the state, including the release of Wanda Barzee, jailed for more than 15 years after assisting in the kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart; a visit from Anita Hill, whose name is back in the news as the U.S. Senate decides whether to confirm U.S. Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh; and, Utahns' responses to Christine Blasey Ford’s testimony where she recounted an alleged attack by Kavanuagh during their high school years.

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Left: Stacy Iriesoul from Toronto, Ontario, performs aerial acrobatics, suspended from the Rainbow Bridge at Burning Man in the Black Rock desert of Nevada on Sept. 1. Right: Tiana Powell from Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., dances with fire at sunrise during Burning Man on Sept. 1.

A duck joins the game during the first half of the Real Salt Lake-L.A. Galaxy soccer match at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy on Sept. 1.

Julian Lucero dances alongside Haylee Lamb and other Kauri Sue Hamilton School students as Riverton High School cheer, drill and dance company members rehearse before a half-time performance on Sept. 4.

The Utah State Fair brought two weekends worth of entertainment to the region with games, rides and concerts.

The BYU student section cheers on the Cougars during the Sept. 8 game against California at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo. BYU lost by three points.

A woman listens as Sam Young speaks on a livestream after his disciplinary hearing with the LDS Church. Young had been advocating for the end of one-on-one interviews between Mormon clergy and youths. Young traveled to Salt Lake City on Sept. 16 to read a letter notifying him of his membership in the church. He was excommunicated.

Brian Merrill, left, from Reno, Nevada, walks along the shore at Antelope Island State Park, along with Larry Merket and Nora Merket, from Syracuse, on Sept. 11.

Homeowners and onlookers waited near Herriman Cove pond to watch as a firefighting helicopter refilled. A 50-acre wildfire in Rose Canyon threatened half a dozen homes on Sept. 12. Firefighters evacuated around 20 to 30 homes in two Herriman neighborhoods that day.

Elizabeth Smart spoke about the then-pending release of Wanda Barzee at a news conference on the steps of the Utah capitol on Sept. 13. Smart said it was “incomprehensible” that Barzee could be released earlier than expected.

A flock of geese fly over the Utah State Prison as the Oquirrh Mountains are lit up by the rising sun on Sept. 19. Wanda Barzee was released from the prison in the early morning hours after serving a 15-year sentence for her role in the kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart.

Ed Smart, father of Elizabeth Smart, expresses his frustration with the release of Wanda Barzee from Utah State Prison in Draper Sept. 19.

Cathedral of the Madeleine altar boys prepare for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross Red Mass on Sept. 14.

Cantor Clarisse Colao raises her hand during the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross Red Mass on Sept. 14, 2018 at Cathedral of the Madeleine in Salt Lake City. The ceremony recognized and honored first responders, members of the military and the legal professions for their service to the community.

Wallace Scott Keele sits for a portrait in the trophy room of his Heber City home on Sept. 20. In 2015, Keele bagged a trophy elk bull, but found himself in court a year later charged with a felony for allegedly poaching it.

BYU running back Squally Canada (22) signs autographs after the Cougars defeated the McNeese State Cowboys, 30 to 3, at Lavell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Sept. 22.

Ashley Weitz carries a #MeToo sign as people arrive to hear Anita Hill speak at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City on Sept. 26. Hundreds of people lined up to attend, but the venue couldn’t fit them all.

Anita Hill speaks at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City on Sept. 26. Hill discussed parallels between the Kavanaugh hearings and her own experience in 1991 testifying against then-Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas, after alleging he sexually harassed her when they worked together.

Lorrie Schmanski was part of a group rallying against Sen. Orrin Hatch for comments he made about Ford during her testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday.