Wyoming wildfires trigger new evacuations

Sheridan County officials ordered another round of evacuations Monday as crews continued to battle the Elk Fire, which has now grown to 89,000 acres. Fire managers also ordered further evacuations in the 77,600-acre Pack Trail Fire in the Bridger-Teton National Forest in northwest Wyoming.

Together, the fires have burned about 260 square miles since lightning sparked them last month. That’s about the same size as Denver and Salt Lake City combined.

The Elk and Pack Trail fires are the largest fires currently burning in Wyoming, which is experiencing one of the worst fire seasons in memory.

“We know conditions are extremely fire-prone,” Gov. Mark Gordon told reporters last week. “I think statewide we’re going to put fire restrictions in place. The amount of area we have burned in Wyoming is unprecedented.

Given the dry conditions, Gordon stressed the need for people to avoid behaviors that could lead to more fires, especially during hunting season. Reconnaissance on the Elk Fire, he noted, spotted two abandoned campfires that remained lit.

“Anyone who thinks it’s a good idea to leave a campfire under ordinary circumstances should probably know better,” he said. “But anyone doing that now, it’s actually a really bad idea.” So I think people need to take the time to make sure that they’re doing everything they can to not start a fire.

Elk Fire

The latest Elk Fire evacuations included cabins and homes on the east side of the Bighorn Mountains, southwest of Sheridan. The changes, according to the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office, were preventative in nature rather than due to extreme fire behavior.

The new evacuations were centered on the Red Grade Road area and included:

• Homes on Lower Hideaway, Upper Hideaway and Red Poll Lanes.
• All cabins in the Teepee Cabin group.
• All Black Tooth Cabin Association cabins.
• Stumpty Ridge, Helsberg and Folley Ranch.

Although the fire continues to spread, its growth has slowed in recent times. Officials reported an increase of about 3,500 acres on Sunday and 1,500 acres of growth on Monday.

“I think we’re in a good place,” Operations Section Chief Mike Reed said Monday in an informational video posted to the Bighorn National Forest Facebook page. “I think we are setting ourselves up for success. We have all the necessary pieces in place and we’re just going to keep moving forward and hopefully be successful as we move forward.

Lightning sparked the Elk Fire Sept. 27 in the Bighorn National Forest, east of Dayton. The fire grew during hot, dry and windy conditions, moving southeast along the eastern shoulder of the Bighorn Mountains.

At the start of the week, almost 950 people were working on the fire, supported by 13 aircraft and a large number of ground equipment. Fire crews set fire to an area south of the main fire Sunday to reduce fuels and slow its spread, according to a Monday update from the Rocky Mountain Region Complex Incident Management Team 3.

“It basically helps create a little catcher’s mitt here to help reduce the risk for (neighboring towns of) Big Horn and Story,” Reed said. “While this is not completely out of the picture, it helps reduce the risk. »

On Monday, firefighters planned to continue protective operations near homes and other properties in the Poverty Flat neighborhood, located between 45 minutes and an hour south of Sheridan. Those efforts included cleaning up flammable debris and establishing ponds, pumps and sprinkler systems, according to the update.

On nearby Red Grade Road, crews planned to spend Monday using heavy equipment to clear vegetation to enable “strategic fire operations” and stop the movement of the fire towards the south, if necessary.

Containment of the fire stood at 27% as of Monday morning. Sunday’s more moderate temperatures led to minimal fire activity, which is expected to intensify on Monday due to warmer and drier conditions.

Fire Trail Pack

New evacuations also went into effect Monday in response to the Pack Trail Fire in northwest Wyoming. Teton County Emergency Management announced an evacuation order at noon for the Upper Gros Ventre area, east of Goosewing Ranch.

Similar evacuation orders remained in effect for Lava Mountain Lodge and McKenzie Highland Ranch. But similar orders for Brooks Lake Lodge, Pinnacle Cabins, Falls Camp and Long Creek have been reduced to a level two warning, when residents are asked to prepare for an evacuation but are not yet required to leave the area .

The fire, which started on September 15, is now 62% contained.

On Sunday, crews had to deal with an unauthorized drone that flew over the fire zone. Such flights, authorities say, are illegal and dangerous for firefighting aircraft.

Fire managers were preparing Monday for increased fire activity brought on by hotter and drier conditions. Crews continued to work to protect structures in the Gros Ventre Valley by wrapping buildings, laying pipes and installing sprinklers.