Clearwater fire 43 pct. contained

CODY (WNE) — Recent developments on the Clearwater Fire have allowed the redeployment of some crews to other wildfires in the West.

It was 43% contained as of Monday morning.

Firefighters will continue to cut what they call “hazardous trees” in the Elk Fork Campground and do some additional work in the Elk Fork drainage.

Engines will continue to patrol the North Fork highway corridor in the Shoshone National Forest, monitoring fire behavior and watching for any activity that could threaten the roadway. The fire’s southern perimeter may also be monitored by aerial resources.

With the fire less active in the interior and not posing an immediate threat to perimeter lines, some crews have been reassigned to other incidents with more active fires requiring direct suppression. This reduction leaves an appropriate number of personnel (80) on the North Fork for this fire and is a standard practice with the national fire workforce when numerous regions throughout the country are experiencing a high volume of fire activity.

Currently, 79 large, active wildfires are being managed with full-suppression strategies nationwide, and approximately 27,000 firefighters and support personnel are assigned to incidents.

Due to heavy fuels in steep, inaccessible terrain, the Clearwater fire is likely to burn and smolder for some time in conifer forest, brush, and dead and down logs, even with cooler temperatures and precipitation.

This story was published on August 12, 2024.