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Fire Update

Wednesday, August 29, 8:30 pm update
Fremont Trail Closure Expected Soon in Big Sandy-Fish Creek Park and Dad's Lake area
A closure is expected shortly of the Fremont Trail into the Bridger Wilderness at the Big Sandy trailhead due to the Iron Creek Fire which is burning in the Bridger Wilderness approximately 3 miles from Big Sandy Lodge. The fire is now about 50 acres in size and has moved into Fish Creek Park and is burning on both sides of the trail. A closure area is expected to be announced tomorrow, Thursday, which will likely include Dad's Lake and Divide Lake next to Fish Creek Park. A closure order and map depicting the exact closure area is expected from the Forest Service Thursday. A second fire crew has been ordered brought in tomorrow, bringing the number of firefighters on this fire to 50 people, as well as helicopter support.

Monday, August 27, 2001
FIRE DANGER is: EXTREME
No closures for the Big Sandy area or Fremont Trail due to the Iron Creek fire, but may be considered if the Iron Creek fire worsens.

All closures have been lifted for Boulder Lake fire area. All roads, trails & campgrounds are open.
Boulder Fire 100% Contained

Iron Creek Fire
This fire started Sunday, August 26, and is burning in the Bridger Wilderness south of Fish Creek Park and Dad's Lake in the Big Sandy area. This fire is burning on a rocky hilly area near the Fremont trail and about 3 miles north of the Big Sandy trailhead. The trail is not closed at this time, but closures may be considered if the fire worsens. The fire is approximately 35 acres in size and is being managed with moderate supression strategies to contain the fire within designated boundaries to meet management purposes. Eight smoke jumpers are currently on this fire with helicopter support. This fire is suspected to have been caused by lightning.

Boulder Lake Fire
The Boulder fire is being monitored for hot spots and flare ups. No closures are in effect for this area. The Boulder Fire is suspected to be human caused.

Notes:

  • Please remember fire danger is EXTREME. Fire restrictions are in place for all of Sublette County. No open fires are permitted except in designated areas. This restriction also applies to private land, burning trash, etc. Individuals who cause fires through negligence may be held responsible for the firefighting costs.
  • Please call in ANY smoke columns that you see, even if you think someone else may have reported it already. With the extremely dry conditions, fires can spread very rapidly. The earlier the report can be called in, the faster firefighters can get on the fire.
  • The Teton Fires web site up in Jackson has been discontinued due to decreased fire activity. The Interagency Fire Information Center in Jackson also closed on August 17th. The Bridger-Teton Forest is putting fire information up on their web site at: http://www.fs.fed.us/btnf/fireinfo.htm
  • Fire information is also available from the Wyoming Department of Tourism regarding how fires may affect your planned trip. Their web site is: www.wyomingtourism.org.

Latest Fire Press Releases

No campfires allowed except in developed campgrounds.
Signs are being posed in campfire rings in dispersed areas throughout the Bridger-Teton Forest to let visitors no that no campfires are allowed except in developed agency campgrounds.

Where to get more information:

For More Info on the Web

Teton Fires
Bridger-Teton National Forest

National Interagency Fire Center NIFC Wildland Fire Map

Press Releases

Bridger-Teton Fire Info
Jay Anderson, BTNF Public Affairs, Jackson
307-739-5542


Pinedale Ranger District
29 CR-154, Pinedale
307-367-4326

Big Piney Ranger District
315 S. Front, Big Piney
307-276-3375

Where to report fires:
Sublette County Sheriff's Office

911 or 307-367-4378
Pinedale Ranger District
307-367-4326
Big Piney Ranger District
307-276-3375
BTNF Supervisor's Office (Jackson)

307-739-5500
Teton Fire Dispatch
(Grand Teton Park in Moose)

307-739-3630
307-739-3300

Callers are reminded that if they are using a cell phone, they may not get a local office when they dial 911. The best place to call for area fires is either the local Sheriff's office or the Bridger-Teton Fire Office. Be prepared to give a location of the smoke, your name, where you are calling from, and how they can get ahold of you again for more information if needed.

New fires over the weekend in one in the wilderness in the Big Sandy area and one in the Greys River in Roosevelt Meadows.

Iron Creek Fire - 35 acres, Big Sandy area
Believed to be a lightning holdover, a new fire started south of Fish Creek Park in the Big Sandy area on Sunday afternoon. Contrary to the name, it is not in Iron Creek. It is south of Dad's & Marms Lake and the Fish Creek Park area. It is approximately 3 miles north of Big Sandy Lodge and 5 miles from the Summer homes. Currently it is burning within the wilderness area and is being managed for
"wildland fire use for resource benefit", according to Jay Anderson, Public Affairs Specialist for the Bridger-Teton National Forest. It will be monitored closedly in the event a suppression strategy is necessary. Firefighters are monitoring the fire boundary and working to keep the fire north of its present location.
   This fire is burning within the wilderness in a very rocky area and reached approximately 35 acres in size today. Since it is not possible to dig a fireline in this rocky area, the fire is being managed with modified suppression strategy. This involves designating an area where the fire will be allowed to burn to meet management objectives and confining it within an area. "Basically we're going to herd the fire where we want it with a containment strategy since we can't put a fireline in this rocky area" said Cindy Stein of the Pinedale Ranger District.
   Eight smokejumpers and a helicopter were on the fire today in suppression efforts. The fire is burning within about 1/8 mile of the Fremont Trail, approximately 2.5-3 miles north of the Big Sandy trailhead. The trail is currently open and signs are posted at the trailhead warning hikers of the fire and any advisories. If the fire worsens, the trail may be closed. This will be evaluated on a daily basis. Visitors wanting to go into this area can call the Pinedale Ranger District to get the current status of the trail and fire.
   The Forest Service thanks the public for reporting this fire quickly. "We got tons of calls about this fire" said Cindy Stein. Quick notification is a big help for firefighters to get resources to wildfires quickly before the fire gets very big.

Roosevelt Fire - 25 acres, Roosevelt Meadows
The Roosevelt fire is located approximately one mile west of Roosevelt Meadows in the Greys River District. This fire has been showing extreme fire behavior and was at 25 acres earlier today. A 21-person Interagency hand crew, 8 smoke jumpers, a Type II (medium duty) helicopter and 4 air tankers were on this fire today. Three additional 20-person hand crews were ordered to relieve the Interagency firefighters presently working this fire.

Boulder Fire - 100% Contained
Fire crews are making regular patrols of the Boulder Fire to make sure it isn't flaring up. It continues to burn in some small patches of aspens, but is being watched carefully. All closures and restrictions were lifted from this area.
   The Boulder Fire was located on Bridger-Teton National Forest and private land between Boulder and Burnt Lakes, approximately 8 air miles east of Pinedale and 7 air miles northeast of Boulder, Wyoming. The fire burned on the north side of Boulder Lake on a south-facing slope, almost exclusively in grass and sagebrush with only small pockets of aspen trees burned. Boulder Lake Summer Homes, Skinner Brothers Wilderness Camp on Burnt Lake, and Boulder Lake BLM Campground were threatened within a mile of the blaze, but the fire did not reach them. This fire is suspected to have been human-caused, but the exact cause has not been officially determined.

Other Fires
The Virginia Peak Fire is burning near Virginia Peak in the Greys River drainage. This fire was contained at 2 acres.

The Bear Cub Fire is in the Teton Wilderness approximately 6 miles north of Brooks Lake. This fire is presently being managed as a Wildland Fire Use for Resource Benefit and will be closely monitored in the event suppression becomes necessary.

The Falcon Fire moved west of Falcon Creek over the weekend and is now estimated at 2,700 acres. It is being managed in cooperation with Yellowstone National Park. There is concern for the Hawk's Rest Patrol Cabin located near Bridger Lake on the northern boundary of the Teton Wilderness.

The Green Knoll Fire near Wilson is 100% Contained and Controlled, but is still putting up some smoke as it burns vegetation within the fire perimeter. Crews are closely monitoring this fire which probably won't be completely out until the snow flies.


Dispersed campsite with a fire ring  Apparently there is still some confusion about what is and isn't allowed under the current fire restrictions and the Forest Service is still finding abandoned campfires in dispersed areas as well as in campgrounds. The open fire restriction applies to all of Sublette County, including private lands. Ranchers and landowners: burning trash in open barrels is not permitted, even on your own land. If you want to have a Bar-B-Q, you need to be using either a fully enclosed grill or be in a campground using a provided pit or metal fire grill. A developed recreation area means a campground managed by the Forest Service, BLM or some agency. An open area at the end of a two-track road by a lake or stream with a campfire ring is not a developed camping spot! If you aren't sure what is permitted, call the Forest Service or Sheriff's Office and ask. Anyone found responsible for causing a wildfire may be held responsible for the firefighting costs, so a carelessly tossed cigarette or morning warming fire could end up being very expensive.


Earlier Updates:
Wednesday, August 22 update
Tuesday, August 21, noon update
Monday, August 20 7pm update
Monday, August 20 10am update
Sunday, August 19 update
Wednesday, August 8 update
Wednesday, August 1 update
Sunday, July 29 update
Friday, July 27 update
Wednesday, July 25 update
Tuesday, July 24 update
Monday, July 16 update
Monday, July 9 update
Sunday, July 8 update

Saturday, July 7 update

Friday July 6, 2001 9 pm update
Friday, July 6, 2001 8 am update
Thursday, July 5, 2001



FIRE DANGER IS EXTREME.
Please report any new smoke columns you see.
Many thanks to everyone who has been so diligent about reporting smokes!

Press Releases:
Click here for the latest: http://www.tetonfires.com/media/index.htm
July 25, 2001 (BTNF/GTNP) Evacuation Ordered for Two Fire Area Subdivisions. Green Knoll Fire Receives Top Priority for Suppression.

July 24, 2001 (BTNF) Green Knoll Fire Experiences Limited Growth
July 24, 2001 (BTNF/GTNP) Green Knoll Fire Area Estimates Reevaluated
July 22, 2001 (BTNF) Green Knoll Fire Update
July 22, 2001 (BTNF) Mosquito Creek Fire Update

July 14, 2001 (BTNF) Lightning Show Sparks More Fires on the BTNF
July 13, 2001 (BTNF) New Fires Ignite as Incident Management Teams Depart BTNF
July 9, 2001 (BTNF) Greys River Complex Fire Fact Sheet
July 8, 2001 (BTNF) Fire Crews Released as Teams get a grip on Complex Fires
July 8, 2001 (BTNF) Greys River Complex Fire Fact Sheet
July 7, 2001 (BTNF) Positive Outlook on BTNF Fisherman Complex Fires
July 7, 2001 (BTNF) Greys River Complex Fire Fact Sheet
July 7, 2001 8:00 am (BTNF) National Teams Arrive on BTNF Fires
July 6, 2001 8:00 am (BTNF) National Teams Called in to Manage BTNF Forest Fires
July 5, 2001 3:00 pm (BTNF) Thirteen Fires Burning on Bridger-Teton National Forest
July 5, 2001 8:00 am (BTNF) Eleven Fires Burning on Bridger-Teton National Forest

 

 



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.
 


Last Year's Fires: 2000 Fire pages
Pinedale Online front page

Pinedale Online fire update. Local fire status information provided by the Pinedale Ranger District and the Jackson office of the US Forest Service, Bridger-Teton National Forest.  Copyright 2001.