Lightning strikes during 24-hour period ending at 6 a.m. Aug. 24, 2022. Lightning strike data from Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center.
During the 24-hour period ending at 6 a.m. Wednesday 39,421 lightning strikes were detected in parts of Wyoming, Colorado, South Dakota, and Nebraska. In many areas there was not a great deal of rain accompanying the lightning.
Precipitation during 24-hour period ending at noon Aug. 24, 2022.
The weather forecast for Cheyenne, Wyoming on Wednesday is for 84 degrees, 12 mph winds out of the southeast, 30 percent cloud cover, and 22 percent relative humidity.
The satellite photo taken at 11:56 a.m. MDT on Wednesday shows partly cloudy skies over the general region.
June 13, 2022 flood in Yellowstone National Park. YNP image.
Yellowstone National Park released a video yesterday describing the massive damage to the park’s infrastructure that occurred June 13 when unseasonably warm weather, melting snow, and very heavy rain produced widespread flooding across the north end of the park. Yellowstone Digital Communications Specialist, Jake Frank, gives his first-hand account of the 500-year flood event.
These photos are still images from the video below.
June 13, 2022 flood in Yellowstone National Park. YNP image.June 13, 2022 flood in Yellowstone National Park. YNP image.June 13, 2022 flood in Yellowstone National Park. YNP image.
A Type 1 Incident Management Team will assume command Wednesday
Updated 8:28 a.m. MDT August 3, 2022
Incident Command Post on the Fish Fire, Wednesday August 2, 2022. IMT photo.
The Fish Fire south of Sundance, Wyoming slowed Tuesday night as the winds decreased and the relative humidity rose to 75 percent.
Fish Fire, August 2, 2022. IMT photo.
The updated forecast for Wednesday predicts mostly sunny skies with a high near 84 with a 6 to 13 mph east wind becoming west or southwest after 11 a.m. Winds could gust as high as 22 mph as the relative humidity drops to 25 percent.
Briefing on the Fish Fire, Wednesday August 3, 2022. IMT photo.
Since it started Sunday July 31 at 11:30 a.m. it has burned 6,476 acres on private and National Forest lands.
Incident Command Post on the Fish Fire, Wednesday August 3, 2022. IMT photo.
The Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 1 will assume command of the fire Wednesday morning.
5:30 p.m. MDT August 2, 2022
Fish Fire vicinity map, 3:58 p.m. Aug 2, 2022.
The Fish Fire eight miles south of Sundance, Wyoming was much more active Tuesday than in previous days. At 3:58 p.m. it was mapped at 6,476 acres, about eight times larger than it was Monday evening.
To see all of the articles on Wildfire Today about the Fish Fire, including the most current, click HERE.
Monday afternoon and into the evening it was pushed by winds out of the north and northwest gusting to 30 mph. That caused it to spread rapidly throughout the night and by 4 p.m. Tuesday it had grown about 2 miles to the east and four miles south. It spread east across Canyon Springs Road and south across Cold Springs Road. At that time it was still east of Highway 585.
Fish Fire map, 3:58 p.m. Aug 2, 2022.
On Tuesday after 9 a.m. there was a 100 percent cloud cover over the area. In the afternoon winds were out of the northwest at 10 to 15 gusting at 28 to 34 mph while the temperature was 88. The relative humidity rose from 20 percent at 6:30 a.m. to 38 percent at 5 p.m. The forecast for Wednesday calls for mostly sunny skies, 84 degrees, 22 percent RH, and winds from the southwest at 5 to 10 mph.
Evacuation information may be posted on the Crook County Emergency Management Facebook Page, or, Weston County Emergency Management’s Facebook page.
Kim Hemenway, a spokesperson for the fire, said a Type 1 Incident Management Team will arrive Tuesday night and assume command from the Type 3 Team at 6 a.m. Wednesday.
Approximately 250 personnel are assigned.
The article was edited at 7:22 p.m. MDT August 3, 2022 to reflect that the Incident Management Team said their reference to a “Critical Incident Management Team” should have been “COMPLEX Incident Management Team.”
Another fire, the Carter Fire, has burned more than 10,000 acres near Scotts Bluff, Nebraska
Updated 8:46 p.m. MDT August 1, 2022
Tanker 40, a BAe-146, drops near the Fish Fire south of Sundance, WY, August 1, 2022. USFS photo.
Fish Fire
The Fish Fire eight miles south-southeast of Sundance, Wyoming spread to the east Monday threatening the Canyon Springs subdivision. Crews are working in the area to provide protection to the structures. Monday afternoon it had burned about 750 acres.
To see all of the articles on Wildfire Today about the Fish Fire, including the most current, click HERE.
Residences from Canyon Springs Road to the south end of the fire and east of Wyoming Highway 585 are still under evacuation.
The fire started on private land and was human-caused.
A Wyoming Type 3 incident management team is expected to arrive and in-brief Monday at 6 p.m.
The smoke from the fire is blowing east into South Dakota toward Lead and Rapid City .
It is a fairly big air show for that part of the country. We checked a flight tracking app late in the afternoon Monday and spotted four large air tankers at the fire or at the Rapid City Tanker Base 63 miles to the southeast — two BAe-146s and two RJ85s. Tanker 168, an RJ85, flew up from Abilene, dropped, and headed to Rapid City. There are also two Type 1 helicopters and a Type 3 helicopter assisting firefighters.
The state of Colorado’s PC12 multi-mission aircraft is also on scene for mapping and intelligence support. It found that at noon the fire had burned 527 acres.
Monday afternoon the Four Corners weather station south of the fire recorded 88 degrees, 13 percent relative humidity, and 10 to 20 mph winds gusting out of the west and northwest up to 32 mph. The forecast for the fire on Tuesday predicts 87 degrees, 21 percent RH, and 10 to 15 mph south winds shifting to the west in the afternoon gusting up to 20 mph.
Carter Canyon Fire
The Carter Canyon Fire seven miles southwest of Scotts Bluff, Nebraska has grown to 15,592 acres. The blaze destroyed three homes and damaged several more in the Carter Canyon community that was evacuated Sunday.
The temperature at the fire reached 102 degrees Monday with 16 percent RH and winds gusting at 10 to 15 mph. The National Weather Service forecasts temperatures around or in excess of 100 degrees over the next six days.
Large air tankers have also been assisting firefighters on the Carter Canyon Fire.
Updated at 9:54 a.m. MDT August 1, 2022
Fish Fire, July 31, 2022. Photo by Scott McDermid, Air Attack.
The map below shows heat detected by a satellite as it passed over the Fish Fire at 2:37 a.m. Monday.
The red dots on the map represent heat detected by a satellite on the Fish Fire at 2:37 a.m. MDT Aug. 1, 2022.
We will update this article as more information becomes available.
10:20 p.m. MDT July 31, 2022
Map showing the location of the Fish Fire at 12:43 p.m. MDT July 31, 2022.
The Fish Fire 8 miles south-southeast of Sundance, Wyoming is prompting evacuations south of the city. Evacuation orders are in effect from south of Canyon Springs Road to the south end of the fire, and east of Wyoming Highway 585.
Since it was reported at about 11:30 Sunday morning it burned approximately 500 acres on the Black Hills National Forest by 7 p.m., according to fire officials. Air tankers and at least one Type 1 helicopter are assisting firefighters.
A Wyoming Type 3 incident management team is expected to arrive on Monday.
Fish Fire, July 31, 2022, by @LordBaumeister.
Another fire in the Northern Great Plains has been burning since 6:30 p.m. on July 30 seven miles southwest of Scotts Bluff, Nebraska. The Carter Canyon Fire has grown to approximately 13,000 acres, with part of it being within the Cedar Canyon Wildlife Management Area south of Carter Canyon.
Single engine air tankers as well as large air tankers have been working on these fires, flying out of Rapid City and Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (Jeffco) near Denver. An air attack aircraft flew over from Cody, Wyoming to assist with the Fish Fire on Sunday.
The symbols represent heat detected by satellites on the Carter Canyon Fire as late as 12:41 p.m. MDT July 31, 2022. Parts of the fire are in light vegetation such as grass that cools quickly after burning rapidly and can be missed by the twice daily satellite overflights.
The Lolo National Forest in Montana reported two new fires Wednesday night exhibiting crowning and spotting fire behavior
9:42 a.m. MDT July 8, 2021
Lighting, 24 hours previous to 7:59 a.m. MDT July 8, 2021.
Wednesday’s lightning that battered parts of Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and South Dakota came with little or no precipitation.
Wednesday night the Lolo National Forest west of Missoula, MT reported that they were working on three new fires, including two that were each 30 to 50 acres and exhibiting crowning and spotting fire behavior.
Thursday afternoon there could be more thunderstorms in Western Montana, some of which could become severe with powerful wind and large hail. Gusty winds across the state will elevate the fire danger. The forecast for Helena calls for 13 to 16 mph winds gusting out of the northwest at 20 to 28 mph with relative humidity in the teens.
Precipitation, 24 hours previous to 8:40 a.m. MDT, July 8, 2021.Red Flag Warnings, July 8, 2021
From the Idaho Panhandle National Forests, Wednesday evening, July 7:
Widespread lightning, accompanied by very little precipitation, moved through overnight impacting the Idaho Panhandle National Forests and the greater region. Numerous fires have been reported and confirmed. The fires are all currently in the initial attack phase with an all-hands-on-deck interagency response. In addition to engines, water tenders, hand crews, and helicopters, large air tankers are also supporting fire managers with 3,000 gallon loads of retardant loading from the Coeur d Alene Tanker Base.
More information will be available as management shifts from initial attack into extended attack, if needed.
Air tankers at Pappy Boyington Field in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, July 7, 2021. USFS photo.
Very strong, dry winds, and sun are in the forecast
October 11, 2020 | 10:44 p.m. MDT
Photo by Big Laramie Volunteer Fire Department Station 4, in Wyoming near the Mullen Fire.
Rain and snow hit portions of three fires in north-central Colorado Sunday slowing the spread of the Cameron Peak, Middle Fork, and Mullen Fires.
The Mullen Fire which extends across the state line into Wyoming had received one-half to two inches of snow by mid-afternoon Sunday in the higher elevations. The fire has burned 175,535 acres in the two states.
To see all articles on Wildfire Today about the Cameron Peak Fire, including the most recent, click here.
The 134,559-acre Cameron Peak Fire, which burned up to the Colorado State University Mountain Campus, received about one inch of snow in the higher elevations.
A weather station near the 17,832-acre Middle Fork Fire north of Steamboat Springs recorded 0.07″ of precipitation Sunday.
Precipitation October 11, 2020 through 10 p.m. MDT.
Strong winds are in the forecast for the area through Wednesday. The temperature in the higher elevations of the Mullen Fire will reach about 20 degrees or lower Sunday night. The forecast for Cowdrey, Colorado near the Mullen Fire calls for mostly sunny skies Monday through Wednesday, high temperatures around 60, relative humidity of 20 percent, and afternoon winds gusting at 30 to 50 mph out of the west and southwest.
A small amount of rain or snow is unlikely to completely put out these fires which are mostly burning in timber. It will be interesting to see how much the fuels dry out in the next three days with very strong winds, sun, and low humidities.
UPDATE at 12:10 p.m. MDT October 12, 2020. The satellite photo below shows snow in the mountains of north-central Colorado at 10:56 a.m. MDT October 12, 2020.
Satellite photo showing snow in the mountains of north-central Colorado at 10:56 a.m. MDT October 12, 2020.Cameron Peak Fire still burns with snow on the ground, October 11, 2020. Incident Management Team photo.President of Colorado State University
