GILLETTE, Wyo. — An active wildfire in northern Campbell County has grown to over 20,000 acres, drawing resources from Montana and Wyoming in an attempt to contain it, according to the Campbell County Fire Department.
According to the latest update on Sept. 12, the Short Draw Fire grew overnight from a few thousand acres to over 20,000 with containment currently estimated at 0%. Evacuation orders for residents near the Border Line Estates and Ranchettes remain in place.
Per CCFD, most of the fire is located in Montana, though approximately one-third continues to impact northern Campbell County as it consumes grass, brush and timber. Multiple structures have been lost and damage assessments are ongoing.
Heavy equipment and aircraft are supplementing fire crews from Wyoming and Montana as suppression efforts continue, the update states, adding that a Type 3 Incident Management Team is coordinating the firefighter activities.
As of Sept. 12, the fire is expected to continue growing to the north with high winds forecast due to thunderstorms to the west with minimal precipitation. A red flag warning and Stage 1 Fire Restrictions are currently in effect due to high temperatures, low relative humidity and high winds.
“Stage 1 Fire Restrictions are in place as the vegetation is highly susceptible to ignition,” CCFD says, adding that smoke in the area is from numerous wildfires burning in the region and additional wildfire starts are anticipated due to overnight lighting activity. “Please exercise extreme caution.”
The Short Draw Fire remains an active investigation, CCFD says.
