Wyoming Archives - Page 5 of 17

Two fires south of Jackson, Wyoming spreading rapidly at high elevation

Bill GabbertSeptember 18, 2018September 20, 2018UncategorizedMartin Creek Fire, Roosevelt Fire, Wyoming7 Comments

The Roosevelt and Marten Creek Fires are 30 and 50 miles south of Jackson

Above: The Martin Fire, September 16, 2018. InciWeb.

(UPDATED at 7:02 a.m. MDT September 19, 2018)

The Roosevelt Fire 30 air miles south of Jackson, Wyoming was very active Tuesday growing to within 3 miles of Highway 191. Since it started September 15 it has spread 16 miles to the east. When it was mapped at 10:45 p.m. Tuesday the fire was 6 miles south of Bondurant. Most of the blaze at that time was within the Bridger-Teton National Forest but began to move onto private land on the east side near Muddy Creek Road late in the day.

To see the all of the articles about the Roosevelt Fire on Wildfire Today, including the most recent, click HERE.

The mapping flight Tuesday night determined the fire had burned approximately 25,168 acres, which was almost three times the size we estimated it had burned at 2:59 p.m. Tuesday.

3-D map Roosevelt Fire Wyoming — 3-D map, looking north, showing the perimeter of the Roosevelt Fire at 10:45 p.m. MDT September 18, 2018.

map Roosevelt Fire Wyoming — Map showing the perimeter of the Roosevelt Fire at 10:45 p.m. MDT September 18, 2018.

The Marten Creek Fire 50 miles south of Jackson was much less active Tuesday afternoon and evening.

(Originally published at 9:38 p.m. MDT September 18, 2018)

It is not every year that in mid-September we see wildfires south of Jackson, Wyoming spreading rapidly at 7,000 to 10,000 feet above sea level.

The Roosevelt Fire started September 15 about 30 air miles south of Jackson and spread to the east over a 10,000-foot ridge. At about 3 p.m. Tuesday it had spread along the east slope back down to 7,000 feet, 7 miles south of Bondurant.

The Great Basin Incident Management Team 6 led by Incident Commander Jeff Knudson will assume command of the fire Tuesday at 6:00 p.m.

Fire officials said it is a full suppression fire “utilizing natural barriers. These barriers will aid in slowing the fire growth. In other areas that are safe to have firefighters working direct, we will be using that tactic.”

The Sublette County Sheriff’s Office has issued Evacuation Orders for several areas. Their Facebook page has the latest official information.

Our very UNOFFICIAL estimate of the size of the Roosevelt Fire, based on heat detected by a satellite flying 200 miles overhead at 2:59 p.m. MDT September 18 puts it about 9,000 acres.

The Marten Creek Fire started near Gray River Road September 16, about 50 miles south of Jackson and has also worked its way up to a 10,000-foot ridge. It is 12 miles east of Afton, Wyoming. Strong winds aligned with the topography significantly increased the fire behavior Monday and Tuesday.

Tuesday evening a Type 2 Incident Management Team will begin transitioning with the local Type 3 team, in association with the U.S. Forest Service. The fire was human caused and is currently under investigation. Fire officials said Tuesday night the fire has burned about 5,700 acres.

The area will be under a Red Flag Warning Wednesday. The forecast for the fire area calls for a high of 70 degrees at 7,800 feet, winds out of the southwest at 15 mph gusting to 23, and relative humidity in the low teens.

Firefighters fight fire with fire at Britania Mountain Fire

Bill GabbertSeptember 3, 2018September 3, 2018UncategorizedBritania Mountain Fire, Wyoming

It has burned 30,250 acres 8 miles northwest of Wheatland, Wyoming

Above: Firefighters conduct a firing operation to remove the fuel along Palmer Canyon Road. Uploaded to InciWeb September 2, 2018.

Firefighters on the lightning-caused Britania Mountain Fire west of Wheatland, Wyoming have been conducting firing operations to stop the spread along roads and other barriers.

On the southwest side Palmer Road has been the focus for burnout operations and structure protection. Saturday there were spot fires across the lines in that area, but crews and aircraft engaged them quickly preventing spread of the fire farther south. Crews have also been working to protect structures in the Paradise subdivision and along Palmer Canyon Road.

(To see all of the articles on Wildfire Today about the Britania Mountain Fire, including the most recent, click HERE.)

map Britania Mountain Fire Wyoming — Map of the Britania Mountain Fire at 9:45 p.m. MDT September 2, 2018.

Both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters are being used to support firing operations on the west side south of Britania Mountain.

The incident management team reported Monday that the fire has burned 30,250 acres. Evacuations are in effect.

Britania Mountain Fire Wyoming — Firefighters conduct a firing operation to remove the fuel along Palmer Canyon Road. Uploaded to InciWeb September 2, 2018.

The fire has destroyed 19 structures but that number has not been broken down by residences and outbuildings. There are 502 personnel assigned to the incident.

Britania Mountain Fire grows to over 27,000 acres

Bill GabbertSeptember 1, 2018September 3, 2018UncategorizedBritania Mountain Fire, Wyoming

The fire is 8 miles northwest of Wheatland, Wyoming

britania fire wyoming — Britania Mountain Fire. The red dots represent heat detected by a satellite at 1:54 a.m. MDT September 1, 2018. The red shaded areas were areas of intense heat detected by a fixed wing aircraft overnight, exact time unknown. The red line was the perimeter at the time of the fixed wing flight. Click to enlarge.

(Originally published at 7:34 a.m. MDT September 1, 2018)

The Britania Fire continues to spread on the west and southwest sides near the peak of Britania Mountain and areas south and southeast of the peak. The Incident Management team reports that it has burned 27,200 acres.

On Thursday firefighters were successful in constructing fireline to gain additional containment on the north side of the fire. On the eastern edge of the fire, crews mopped up and patrolled established containment line constructed over prior shifts.

(To see all of the articles on Wildfire Today about the Britania Mountain Fire, including the most recent, click HERE.)

The southeastern corner of the fire increased containment as crews were successful in constructing direct fireline in the lighter fuels as well as using roads as indirect firelines to conduct firing operations along Palmer Canyon Road. Firefighters used both fixed wing air resources and helicopters to support ground personnel in these efforts. On the southwest corner of the fire, crews identified roads that may be utilized as indirect firelines and began prepping those areas to conduct continued firing operations.

Britania Mountain Fire spreads south toward Palmer Cyn. Road

Bill GabbertAugust 30, 2018August 30, 2018UncategorizedBritania Mountain Fire, Wyoming3 Comments

The fire has burned 24,105 acres west of Wheatland, Wyoming

Map of the Britania Mountain Fire as of 6:30 p.m. MDT August 29, 2018. Map produced by Incident Management Team. Click to enlarge.

The 24,105-acre Britania Mountain Fire 8 miles west of Wheatland, Wyoming was active Wednesday, influenced by 8 to 15 mph winds out of the west gusting up to 25 mph in the afternoon. The temperature reached 87 degrees at a weather station in Wheatland with 11 percent relative humidity, conditions that kept the fire spreading on the south side and causing a two-mile run to the east between Palmer Canyon and Marble Roads.

(To see all of the articles on Wildfire Today about the Britania Mountain Fire, including the most recent, click HERE.)

The maps produced by the incident management team show the fire up against the north side of Palmer Canyon Road. This could be in part due to firefighters igniting along the road to remove the fuel between the road and the main fire, hoping to stop the fire in that area.

During a satellite overflight at 2:34 a.m. MDT Friday the only large heat sources detected from 200 miles up were on the south side, primarily north of Palmer Canyon Road west of the Albany/Platte County line.

The map below shows previous fires in orange. The fires to the north were the Arapaho and Cow Camp Fires of 2012, while the one to the south was the 2002 Reese Fire. These blazes, especially the ones six years ago, could slow the spread of the Britania Mountain Fire if it reaches those areas — or at least there would be less resistance to control.

Very little official information has been released about the fire since it started on August 26, but a Type 2 Incident Management Team assumed command Friday morning so that could change. Already we have seen a plethora of new maps.

All of Wyoming except for the northwest portion is under a Red Flag Warning again Thursday. The forecast for the fire area calls for 90 degrees, 11 percent relative humidity, and 8-13 mph winds out of the west and southwest gusting up to 18 mph. Conditions should moderate somewhat on Friday.

The predicted weather will keep cities to the east under a possible threat of dense smoke. Areas in Wyoming that could be affected, depending on the exact wind direction, include Wheatland, Guernsey, and Torrington. Cities in Nebraska that could experience smoke are Mitchell, Scottsbluff, Chadron, and Alliance.

South Metro’s Firefighters assigned to the #BritaniaMountainFire worked the fire line from 7 p.m. until midnight Wednesday. The fire has grown to over 20,000 acres and crews are faced with another Red Flag Warning today. pic.twitter.com/AQnuL7QYMq

— South Metro Fire Rescue (@SouthMetroPIO) August 30, 2018

Britania Mountain Fire burns USFS and private land west of Wheatland, WY

Bill GabbertAugust 28, 2018August 30, 2018UncategorizedBritania Mountain Fire, Wyoming1 Comment

(UPDATED at 3:06 p.m. MDT August 29, 2018)

(To see all of the articles on Wildfire Today about the Britania Mountain Fire, including the most recent, click HERE.)

The incident management team on the Britania Mountain Fire 8 miles northeast of Wheatland, Wyoming has released a map of the fire:

Map Britania Mountain Fire — Map of the Britania Mountain Fire by the Incident Management Team; data from 7 p.m. MDT August 28, 2018. Click to enlarge.

Mandatory evacuations have been issued for Palmer canyon. The Red Cross set up an evacuation center in Wheatland at the Services for Seniors Annex, 809 16th St. They are asking those evacuating to call (307) 322-3279.

(UPDATED at 11:04 a.m. MDT August 29, 2018)

The Britania Mountain Fire 8 miles northwest of Wheatland, Wyoming has burned at least 20,180 acres and 16 structures according to information released by fire officials Wednesday morning. It is not clear how many of the structures are outbuildings or residences, or how current the data is. Very little official information has been released about the fire since it started on August 26.

On Tuesday the Britania Mountain Fire spread to the south into even more rugged terrain.

The area is under a Red Flag Warning through Thursday. The forecast calls for southwest winds of 15 to 25 with gusts to 35 mph and relative humidity of 10 to 15 percent in the afternoons on both days. This could spread the fire farther to the east and northeast if receptive fuels are available.

A Type 2 Incident Management Team with Incident Commander Shane Greer was scheduled to in-brief Wednesday morning at 8 a.m. Tuesday evening 259 personnel were assigned.

The maps below show the APPROXIMATE location of the Britania Mountain Fire. It is based on heat sensing data from a satellite at 2:54 a.m. MDT August 29 and a map created by fire personnel that used data from 7:46 p.m. August 27.

map Britania Fire Wyoming — The shows the APPROXIMATE location of the Britania Mountain Fire. It is based on heat sensing data from a satellite at 2:54 a.m. MDT August 29 and a map created by fire personnel with data from 7:46 p.m. August 27.

During the satellite overflight at 2:54 a.m. MDT Wednesday the only large heat sources detected were on the southern-most perimeter and the southwest side. At about 200 miles above the Earth smaller heat sources scattered across the fire can’t be “seen” by the sensors. On the map above the heat stretched across the south edge for 4 miles west of the County line (the green line) and one mile to the east. The fire spread further to the south in this area.

3-d map Britania Mountain Fire — The 3-D map shows the APPROXIMATE location, looking west-northwest, of the Britania Mountain Fire. It is based on heat sensing data from a satellite at 2:54 a.m. MDT August 29 and a map created by fire personnel with data from 7:46 p.m. August 27.

(Originally published at 11:30 a.m. MDT August 28, 2018)

The Britania Fire west of Wheatland, Wyoming has grown to approximately 18,800 acres. Shifting winds and rugged terrain are creating challenges for the 150 to 200 firefighters on scene, including one crew from Florida. More resources will be arriving today (Tuesday). The fire is approximately 8 to 12 miles west of Wheatland, Wyoming and 68 miles north of Cheyenne.

Continue reading “Britania Mountain Fire burns USFS and private land west of Wheatland, WY”

Two fire engines burned on the North Eden Fire in Utah

Bill GabbertAugust 19, 2018November 5, 2018Uncategorizedburnover, Idaho, North Eden Fire, Utah, Wyoming

Two fire vehicles fighting the North Eden Wildfire were destroyed August 17 by wind-driven flames. A heavy engine from Woodruff Fire Department and a light engine from the State Division of Forestry Fire & State Lands responded to the fire’s west flank.

One engine experienced a mechanical problem and as both crews tried to make the vehicle mobile again flames quickly moved toward the scene cutting off their escape route. The group of three firefighters was forced to leave the vehicles and escape into the black. No injuries were reported.

Here’s a look at the trucks that have been burned by the #NorthEdenFire. https://t.co/251jH3rtM8 pic.twitter.com/irLsukDAj3

— KSL (@KSLcom) August 16, 2018