Evacuation warnings ease as firefighters gain ground on Babylon, Ferris fires

Evacuation warnings eased on July 15 as firefighters gained ground on the Babylon Fire and the Ferris Fire, giving Dolores County residents a clearer path to check homes, livestock and equipment. In a county where ranch gates, county roads and public-land access can decide how quickly people get back in, even a small change in evacuation status can change the day.

The Ferris Fire northwest of Dolores had climbed from 19,613 acres and 0% containment on June 30 to more than 47,000 acres and 21% containment on July 6, then more than 51,000 acres and 22% containment on July 7. By July 13, it had reached more than 64,000 acres and 29% containment. KJCT said cloud cover and scattered storms gave crews some relief that day, although parts of the fire remained active into the night.

The Babylon Fire area in southeastern Utah remained part of the same regional wildfire picture, with smoke, travel concerns and daily disruption stretching across the Four Corners region. For households in Dolores County, the practical question was not only how much line firefighters had held, but whether roads, ranch access and nearby public lands stayed open long enough for people to return safely.

Conditions could still tighten again if weather shifted, containment lines weakened or access points had to be closed. Gov. Jared Polis said Colorado was facing hotter, drier and more serious fire conditions worsened by record-low snowpack, and since June 27 he had declared a disaster emergency in response to seven fires statewide and authorized the National Guard to assist.

Fire officials kept communicating with residents as the situation moved toward a slower phase. The San Juan National Forest scheduled a Ferris Fire community meeting for 6 p.m. July 8 at the Dolores County Fairgrounds. By July 16, crews were shifting from active suppression to repair and mop-up work, a sign the emergency was beginning to settle even if the fire was not fully over.