Firefighters slow growth of Fish Creek Fire Natural barriers aid in containing the blaze, but windy weather is on the horizon.

By Kate Ready

Jackson Hole News&Guide

Via Wyoming News Exchange

JACKSON — For the first time since the Fish Creek Fire ignited a week and a half ago, fire managers reported a containment level above zero. As of Tuesday afternoon, the 11,397-acre fire was at 26% contained. Despite the progress, fire managers warned of windy weather moving in and told the public to expect the fire to burn until snow falls.

The rapidly growing fire that lightning sparked Aug. 16 has torched through high fuel loads in the form of standing and downed dead trees. The fire made big runs at these heavy fuels and five days after the fire began, Forest Service personnel realized the complexity was beyond their control, officials said Monday at a community meeting in Dubois.

This necessitated bringing in a team from the Northern Rockies, which took over management of the fire Saturday. The new team has more resources and is better equipped to manage complex fires.

About a hundred people attended the Monday evening community meeting at the Museum of Military Vehicles. Shoshone National Forest District Ranger Jeff von Kienast told the crowd it is a “Type 2” fire on a scale of complexity. Type 1 is the most complex.

Currently, 364 total personnel are working on containing the fire using natural barriers such as the 2007 Hard Scrabble Fire, which is helping to slow movement. Sage meadows also aren’t burning, said Brent Olson, incident commander for Northern Rockies Team 1.

The Northern Rockies incident management team and other teams trained to manage complex wildfires are typically brought in for 14 days. If the fire drops in complexity, a smaller team could be tapped. If conditions stay the same, another complex incident management team will be ordered to replace the current team.

Five helicopters are currently fighting the fire. Pumps and sprinkler systems also have been set up and vegetative fuels reduced.

The Bridger-Teton’s Blackrock District Ranger Jason Wilmot explained that decades of fire behavior indicates that blazes typically move southwest to northeast in this area.

“That trend told us that the Brooks Lake Lodge and Pinnacles home group was a concern right out of the gate,” Wilmot said.

Neither of those areas have been hit yet and remain on alert to be ready to evacuate at a moment’s notice. People in those areas can go back into their homes but need to let the Forest Service know beforehand.

Firefighters are still on guard because incoming weather could threaten containment with a weather pattern moving in Wednesday that could bring wind gusts of up to 30 mph.

“We’re not losing sight of the fact that this fire still has the potential to grow,” Olson said Monday night.

One woman asked about future closures of Highway 26/287 over Togwotee Pass. The highway has been closed twice, Thursday evening and again Friday afternoon, before reopening at 7 a.m. Saturday.

“That Highway 26 is our lifeline,” the woman said. “Many of us have our doctors across there, in Idaho Falls or in Jackson.”

The main body of the fire is about a mile from the highway, Olson said.

The woman responded that she is worried about spending $300 extra for a hotel room in Jackson if she needs to stay overnight before or following a medical appointment.

Another woman echoed that fear and told fire crews that Highway 26 is a lifeline for the Dubois community.

“People in Dubois rely on Jackson Hole to live their lives,” the woman said. “You have a heart attack, you go to Jackson. I, as a community member, want you to know that highway is one of the most important resources.”

Fire managers said motorists would be given a 90-minute notice from the Wyoming Department of Transportation, which would post closures online and on the WYDOT app as well as on the Bridger-Teton’s Facebook page.

More community meetings may be held to provide up-to-date information, von Kienast said. Looking at current weather forecasts, it’s unlikely the fire will move toward Dubois.

There has been no assessment on how the fire has impacted wildlife. At this time there’s been no “catastrophic loss of any species that we know of,” von Kienast said.

Fire managers are avoiding cutting down whitebark pine trees with cones. Whitebark pine populations are declining rapidly and play a critical role in regulating the melting of snow and ice and provide a critical food source for wildlife.

Buckle up and expect this fire to burn until the season ends, officials said.

“You’re going to see smoke and fire until rain or snow puts it out,” von Kienast told the crowd Monday evening. “You’ll see lulls and ... you’ll see columns show up again almost certainly.”

This story was published on August 28, 2024.