GILLETTE, Wyo.— Two wildfires in the Bridger-Teton National Forest saw limited growth in the last few days despite dry conditions, with lower winds allowing air support to get to work in the area.
The Fish Creek Fire, first identified Aug. 16, has maintained at just over 25,000 acres for several weeks as crews work to quell the fire. Environmental factors such as rain in the area have helped slow growth in recent weeks. Currently, the fire is at 95% containment.
Despite containment being nearly complete, several areas near the fire are under different levels of evacuation orders. For more detailed evacuation information for both the Fish Creek and Pack Trail Fires, check the latest updates from the Fremont County Emergency Management Agency.
Authorities in the area will be hosting a public meeting to discuss the current fire outlook on Friday, Oct. 4 at 6 p.m. at the National Museum of Military Vehicles, located at 6419 US 26 in Dubois.
By contrast, the Pack Trail Fire, located southeast of the Fish Creek Fire, is just getting started. First identified by WildCAD on Sept. 16, the fire has grown to over 18,000 acres in just under two weeks.
Currently, the fire is at 0% containment, but growth was relatively limited yesterday even with red flag conditions. The U.S. Forest Service out of Bridger-Teton National Forest wrote on Facebook that lower winds earlier this week allowed aerial support vehicles to fly over the fire. Growth of 915 acres reported for the Pack Trail Fire brought the estimated total acreage to 18,774. The Fish Creek Fire grew by just 290 acres on Wednesday.
An incident management team from California — California Incident Team 10 — has assumed control of both fires as the previous team out of Nevada reached the end of its 14-day rotation on management. Additional growth added to the complexity of the fire response as well, which necessitated a larger crew than the Nevada team had on the ground previously.
