Kinky Creek Fire contained
JACKSON (WNE) — About a week after the Kinky Creek Fire broke out in late June in the Gros Ventre Wilderness, about 3 miles west of the Darwin Ranch, the ranch’s guests opted to depart.
“We were all just sitting outside watching the hillside burn, right in front of us,” said Oliver Klingstein, the ranch manager. “It was wild. It wasn’t like ‘There’s smoke,’ it was like ‘Oh no, we’re watching 100-foot flames.’”
Firefighters fully contained the 880-acre blaze on Sunday, just over 2.5 weeks after it broke out June 23. The lightning-caused fire spread quickly through steep timber and deadfall. An incident firefighting team from Idaho took control for just under two weeks, before handing the reins back to the Bridger-Teton National Forest July 8.
Suppression efforts included hotshot crews, fire engines, helicopters and scoopers collecting water from Jackson Lake to dump on the fire. The operation was estimated to have cost $4.2 million by July 9, according to a National Interagency Fire Center report.
Firefighters camped at Darwin Ranch, with work days extended from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Klingstein said. at 7 a.m. and return at 7 p.m., Klingstein said.
Though the fire has been contained, it is still burning, said CJ Adams, a spokesperson for the forest. Forest officials flew a drone over the fire on Tuesday to map the area.
Trail closures remain in effect on the Ouzel Falls Connector and Gros Ventre River Trail from Darwin Ranch to the Bear Cabin Connector.The forest is approaching “the heart of fire season,” Adams said. Fire danger is high and visitors to the forest should be aware of best practices for putting out campfires before building one.
This story was published on July 15, 2026.
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