Pinedale Online Fire Update - Wednesday, August 30, 2000
www.pinedaleonline.com, Pinedale, Wyoming
Pinedale Area Fire Updates
Information provided by the Pinedale Ranger District, USFS

Long Lake, Glimpse Lake & Half Moon Lake trails are open.
Half Moon boat dock is open to the public, but campground will remain closed.


Wednesday, August 30, 2000

Fires at a Glance: No new fires reported. All trailheads into the Bridger Wilderness in the Wind River Range are currently open, including the Long Lake & Glimpse Lake trails, which opened today. Half Moon Lake Resort is open again for guests. Sandy Beach on Fremont Lake is open during the day, but the Day Use area still is closed because it is being used as fire camp. Half Moon Lake boat dock is open, but the Forest Service campground will remain closed. The open fire ban on the entire Bridger-Teton National Forest remains in effect. Liquid fuel only allowed for campstoves.

NO CAMPFIRES ALLOWED

Revised Fontenelle Closure Map
  8/26/2000 (98 K)

More Bridger-Teton fire Information available at:
www.tetonfires.com
 

Round hay bales
Hay crops are much smaller 
because of the dry year
Pinedale Online photo

Earlier fire pictures


 
 
Wednesday, August 30th
Pinedale Area Fire Update
Information provided by the Pinedale Ranger District, Bridger-Teton National Forest

Summary: The last outside firefighter crew demobilized yesterday leaving just Pinedale Ranger District personnel to patrol the Half Moon & Triangle fires. All trailheads into the Bridger Wilderness in the Wind River Range are currently open to the public, including Elkhart Park, and Long Lake & Glimpse Lake trails. Half Moon Lake Resort is open to for guests. The Half Moon road and boat dock are open, however the Forest Service campground will remain closed. No new fire starts reported in the last couple of days. 

Further information is available at the following interagency website:  www.tetonfires.com


 

More Details
"There's a momentary lull."

Long Lake & Glimpse Lake trails are open as of today, as well as the trail along Half Moon Lake.  It is strongly recommended that visitors not enter burned areas on foot or horseback. Some fire related hazards exist, including burned snags and hot spots. Travelers should be alert to firefighters and equipment working in recent fire areas.

Visitors are being cautioned that the fire danger is still Extreme, and the Forest Service strongly suggests avoiding camping in heavily treed areas, especially where vegetation goes all the way to the ground. "It's really critical people be very careful where they choose to camp." said Cindy Stein of the Pinedale District. "They should look for places that are safe to camp. Watch for smoke. Think about what they'd do if their route out is blocked and how they would get back safely." The Forest Service is still finding people who are having campfires who apparently don't realize or understand the extreme fire danger right now. Last week alone they've had to put out 6 smoldering campfires that people have left. Absolutely no open fires are allowed anywhere on the Forst. Cigarettes are allowed only in vehicles and buildings, in developed recreation areas, or while stopped in a 3 foot in diameter area that is cleared of grass and brush. Cigarettes are believed to be the cause of at least 3 of the fires we had here this month.

In addition to being alert to the extreme fire danager, Forest Service personnel remind people that with all the fires and dry conditions, they should be very "Bear Aware" since normal food sources are not exceptional this year. Campers should be extra careful to store food properly away from their camping areas. Bearproof tubes can be rented from the District office. Fish heads and parts should be buried 200 feet from water and 100 yards from a camp. Bear activity has been reported in the Seneca & Hobbs lakes area. 

If you do see any bears, the District would appreciate your notifying them. They would like to know: 
1. Type of bear and where you saw it (black or grizzly). 
2. Time of day (day or night). Daytime sightings are more unusual & should be noted.
3. Was the bear attempting to get human food?
4. Any unusual behavior or aggressive tendencies by the bear.

Bears are very intelligent and learn quickly. Once they associate humans and their camps with food, they can come up with ingenious ways to get to that food. Visitors are asked to help by doing their part to keep a clean camp so the bears don't get habituated to associate people with food. 

Weather today is cooler and overcast with periodic showers. Night before last temperatures dipped below freezing in town and by morning we had to scrape frost of the car windshields. Trees in town are beginning to change to yellow colors. Geese are beginning to migrate in flocks up and down the valley. Signs of fall are definitely beginning to show. 


Visitors: Please check in with the Pinedale Ranger District before heading into the back country to get the latest updates on conditions, closures & restrictions. Currently fire danger remains EXTREMELY HIGH and there is a ban on all open fires on the entire Bridger-Teton National No open fires allowedForest. NO campfires are allowed at any time. (Bring warm clothing to layer and a below freezing rated sleeping bag. Night-time temperatures are dipping below freezing.) Campstoves using liquid fuel only are allowed. 

For more fire information, please check the www.tetonfires.com web site (now the same as www.bridgertetonnationalforest.com), which is updated daily with fire information for the Bridger-Teton National Forest, Grand Teton National Park, & Yellowstone National Park. This site also has links to the Targhee and Shoshone National Forests for their fire information, as well as many links to other useful information pertaining to the fires. 

The forest-wide ban on all open fires remains in effect. 
FIRE DANGER REMAINS EXTREMELY HIGH
No Open Fires!

For more fire information go to:
www.tetonfires.com

Earlier fire updates:
Saturday, August 26, 2000
Thursday, August 24, 2000
Monday, August 21, 2000
Sunday, August 20, 2000
Saturday, August 19, 2000
Friday, August 18, 2000
Thursday, August 17, 2000
Wednesday, August 16, 2000
Tuesday, August 15, 2000
Monday, August 14, 2000
Sunday, August 13, 2000
Saturday, August 12, 2000
 



 
Anyone with concerns about fires can contact the Sublette County Sheriff's office at 307-367-4376, or the Pinedale Ranger District, 307-367-4326. Hikers in the wilderness who may have cell phones and can get a signal out can call 911 and ask to be routed to the Sublette County Sheriff's office if they have concerns.

Please visit www.tetonfires.com for more information on wildfires in the area. 

More area fire graphics:
National Interagency Fire Center Large Wildland Fire Map
National Interagency Fire Center web site (ww.nifc.gov)


 


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Pinedale Online fire update. Information provided by the Pinedale Ranger District, US Forest Service Bridger-Teton National Forest.  Copyright 2000. Please contact support@pinedaleonline.com for more information or permission to reprint pictures or content.