The Babylon Fire grew to more than 70,000 acres Wednesday morning while remaining 0% contained, as fire officials warned of continued critical fire weather conditions and increasing smoke impacts across parts of southeastern Utah.

The fire, which started June 26 about 25 miles southwest of Monticello, has burned across portions of Bears Ears National Monument and other federal public lands, destroying four structures, including one owned by The Nature Conservancy and three Forest Service cabins.

The fire increased by more than 20,000 acres since Tuesday. According to a July 1 incident update, fire crews worked along the southern portion of the perimeter, building and reinforcing fire lines. They are also using natural terrain features and indirect tactics to slow the fire’s spread in steep and rugged areas.

On Wednesday, firefighters are focusing on natural barriers and areas of reduced vegetation along the western perimeter while providing structure protection in the Gooseberry area. Fire activity is expected to increase due to gusty winds and very low humidity, according to the update.

Fire is expected to continue moving north toward the Bridger Jack Road and County Road 211 corridor, where indirect containment strategies are being used to take advantage of natural barriers.

A Red Flag Warning remains in effect for the fire area from noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday due to gusty winds, low relative humidity and dry fuels. Southwest winds are expected to push smoke across the region, with conditions expected to worsen overnight in the Monticello area, where air quality could reach very unhealthy or hazardous levels, according to the update.

In Moab, air quality may reach “unhealthy for sensitive groups” at times during the afternoon before improving by evening, according to a smoke outlook from the Interagency Wildland Fire Air Quality Response Program.

The Babylon Fire has prompted continued closures on public lands in the region, including the full closure of the Monticello Ranger District of the Manti-La Sal National Forest, along with additional Bureau of Land Management restrictions and road closures in San Juan County.

The fire has not crossed into Canyonlands National Park, though the Needles District was closed and all staff and visitors were evacuated June 28 due to the fire’s northward progression toward the park and Highway 211. The closure will remain in place until further notice, according to a National Park Service news release issued today, July 1. All other districts of Canyonlands National Park remain open.

All day-use backcountry permits, overnight permits and campground reservations in the Needles District have been canceled through July 31. Additional cancellations later in the summer are being evaluated based on conditions.

A community meeting on the fire is scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday at the Utah State University-Blanding Arts & Events Center. It will also be streamed online for those unable to attend.

Additional fire information is available on the Babylon Fire InciWeb page.

This story was first published by The Times-Independent.