This is your daily news rundown for Thursday, July 1. In this edition:
- Utah's second-biggest wildfire burned 20,000 more acres overnight
- Utah health officials confirmed this year's first human case of West Nile virus
- Dozens of specialty license plates got a design upgrade
The Babylon Fire burned 20,000 acres in one night
The Babylon Fire in San Juan County burned over 20,000 more acres overnight, according to an update from fire officials on Wednesday.
The fire is currently the second largest in Utah this season, burning more than 70,000 total acres. It has destroyed four structures so far.
Fire officials said activity is expected to increase in the Peavine and Dark Canyon drainages. Smoke will also increase significantly within the Monticello area.
The Needles district of Canyonlands National Park is closed until further notice. All Forest Service lands, trails, and roads within the Monticello Ranger District of the Manti-La Sal National Forest are also closed.
Emergency response unit Great Basin Team 2 is holding a community meeting on the fire on Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Utah State University Blanding Arts and Events Center.
That meeting will also be available live on the Manti-La Sal National Park’s Facebook page.
Box Elder County confirmed this year’s first human case of West Nile virus
Utah health officials confirmed this year’s first case of West Nile virus in a human.
The Bear River Health Department announced the case in Box Elder County, then the Utah Department of Health and Human Services confirmed it was the first in the state.
The announcement came just one day after Davis County confirmed West Nile virus in mosquito pools.
West Nile spreads through mosquito bites. The majority of people won’t experience symptoms at all. but it can be dangerous in rare cases.
The best way to avoid West Nile is to not get bitten by mosquitoes. Tips include wearing insect repellent with DEET, limiting outdoor activities at dawn and dusk, and removing standing water where mosquitoes could breed.
Utah’s specialty license plates just got a design upgrade
Dozens of redesigned specialty license plates debuted on Wednesday.
Previously, specialty plates usually had a plain white background with a logo off to one side.
Then the state legislature approved a law in 2024 that changed some of the processes for license plates in Utah. Those changes allowed for new designs, including full-plate graphics.
Specialty license plates can be purchased on the Utah DMV website. Those who already have one of these plates will have to pay again to get the updated design.
