The governor warned about widespread, extreme wildfire activity across Utah and urged residents to stay away from active fire zones so crews can work safely.

The governor said a large blaze near Moab — identified in the briefing as the Bear Creek fire — had burned more than 15,000 hectares. He described other major fires, including one near Franz Canyon he said had burned nearly 35,000 hectares and was about 90% contained, and the Forsyth fire near St. George, caused by lightning on June 19, which he said has burned nearly 16,000 hectares and was about 83% contained. A fire near Monroe Canyon in Sevier County was described as having expanded rapidly; the transcript’s numeric figure for that incident was not clearly stated.

The governor thanked firefighters and first responders for operations under difficult conditions and said no fatalities had been reported. He repeated that roughly 72% of recent wildfires in the state were caused by human activity and urged people to avoid pulling trailer chains, abandoning campfires and shooting at dry brush — examples he listed as avoidable ignition sources.

On federal assistance, the governor said Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) had approved requests the state submitted and that reimbursements were coming for firefighting costs. He also said state officials were compiling damage and response information and would share results with the public when available.

The governor criticized federal land management practices, arguing that state officials can do a better job reducing fire risk on public lands and that some federal stewardship had worsened conditions. He said the state is coordinating with the attorney general and weighing options, including litigation, while continuing to request federal resources for firefighting and reimbursement.

Why it matters: wildfire acreage and containment affect evacuation needs, infrastructure and budgets; the governor’s comments signal ongoing requests for federal aid and potential legal and policy action on federal land management.

Details and context: the governor said conditions of heat, dryness and wind have amplified fire behavior this season despite a similar number of ignitions to last year. He said two recent winters of high snowfall increased grass and brush growth that has since dried and is fueling flames. He urged residents to use water-conservation tools and stay out of fire response areas so crews can operate. The governor also mentioned that some fires were human-caused while others were sparked by lightning.

The briefing included questions from reporters about resources, interagency coordination and reimbursement timelines; the governor said the state had received positive responses to requests and would release more details when available.

The governor closed the wildfire portion of the briefing by again thanking responders and reminding residents to follow public-safety directions.