Battle at Sand Creek — Wildfires challenge crews across Weston County

Firefighters continue to battle the Sand Creek fire up Oil Creek Road in northwest Weston County, where steep, rugged terrain and challenging weather conditions are complicating suppression efforts on a lightning-caused wildfire that began on June 7.

According to Weston County Fire Warden Daniel Tysdal, the fire was estimated at approximately 50 acres as of June 9, although the actual size may be smaller. Determining the fire’s acreage has proven difficult because of the rough terrain, which has hindered mapping efforts.

“We have someone walking the line trying to get a better determination of the fire area,” Tysdal said during a phone interview.

As of Tuesday morning, the fire was listed at 25% containment. Tysdal explained that containment figures can be misleading because firefighters have established a line around the entire fire perimeter.

“There is a line around 100% of the fire,” he said. “But only about 25% of that line is cold with no heat, meaning there is no chance of rekindle.”

The fire is burning in steep, rugged country that has made access difficult and required significant aerial and ground resources. Tysdal said the Wyoming Hotshots and Wyoming Smoke Busters crews have both assisted on the fire, along with a Type 1 helicopter — the largest helicopter classification used in wildfire suppression — and a Wyoming Type 2 helicopter.

Staffing levels have varied since the fire started, with as many as 16 engines assigned on the first day. On June 9, firefighters remained on scene with five strike-team engines from around Wyoming, including several from Laramie County that had been assigned to the Raven Creek fire before being redirected to the Sand Creek fire.

Weather conditions remain a major concern.

The National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning for the Weston County plains from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. June 9 because of hot, dry and windy conditions. Forecasts called for relative humidity levels between 10% and 15% and west to southwest winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 40 mph.

Tysdal said strong winds are expected to hamper fire-fighting efforts throughout the day. He also warned that isolated thunderstorms could produce lightning and erratic winds with little or no rainfall, creating the potential for additional fire starts.

“People should remain aware,” Tysdal said.

The Sand Creek fire is the latest in a series of wildfires that have kept firefighters busy across Weston County during the past week.

Resources also remain assigned to the Raven Creek fire, where crews continue patrol and mop-up operations to ensure containment lines hold.

The Raven Creek fire was reported June 6 in northwest Weston County near the Shipwheel fire area. According to the Weston County Fire Protection District, the fire was caused by a downed power line and burned 3,789 acres.

The response included resources from Weston, Crook and Campbell counties, the Bureau of Land Management and the Wyoming State Forestry Division. A total of 22 engines, seven tenders, one dozer, five blades and five command units responded.

The same day, firefighters responded to three additional fires.

The Coyote Canyon fire, located north of the YT Ranch west of Oil Creek Road, burned approximately 1 acre in extremely rugged terrain before being contained. Seven engines, two tenders, one dozer and two command units responded. The Wyoming State Forestry Division assisted the Weston County Fire District on the fire. 

The Slate fire on the north end of Elk Mountain and the Clifton fire on the south end of Elk Mountain were each contained at 0.1 acre. The Slate fire response included four engines, one UTV and one tender, while the Clifton fire response included four engines and two UTVs.

Earlier, on June 4, firefighters from multiple agencies responded to the Shipwheel fire in far northwest Weston County. The fire burned 456 acres and prompted a response from Weston, Crook and Campbell counties, the Wyoming BLM and Thunder Basin National Grassland.

Nineteen engines, six tenders, one blade, one dozer, one module and six command units responded to that fire. 

The recent string of fires comes as fire danger remains elevated across northeastern Wyoming because of dry fuels, low humidity and windy conditions. Fire officials continue to urge residents to use caution and remain vigilant as the wildfire season intensifies.

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