As part of ongoing response efforts to the Babylon Fire, fire suppression aircraft will be scooping water from Lake Powell between Good Hope Bay and Castle Butte to refill tanks as part of ongoing firefighting operations.
The Babylon Fire in southeast Utah has grown into the nation’s largest active wildfire, scorching over 96,500 acres across federal lands southwest of Monticello, including parts of Bears Ears National Monument and the Manti-La Sal National Forest.
Ignited on June 26th, 2026, the blaze remains at 0% containment as critical, triple-digit temperatures and dry conditions fuel intense fire behavior. More than 1,200 personnel and regional crews are currently deployed to secure structure protections and reinforce control lines along local roads and highways. Because of the fire’s extreme activity, sweeping public land closures remain strictly in effect, including the entire Monticello Ranger District, the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park, and vast tracts of nearby Bureau of Land Management territory.
As for boaters on Lake Powell, they are advised that aircraft may be operating at low altitude and making repeated passes to collect water. Mariners should exercise heightened caution, remain alert for aviation activity, and reduce speed when boating through the area. Boaters need to monitor marine radio channel 16. For updates on conditions and potential impacts to recreation on Lake Powell, visit Glen Canyon Alerts.
