Most structures now deemed safe from Pack Trail Fire with approaching snow

JACKSON — The end of the Pack Trail Fire is in sight.

Cooling weather and precipitation are en route to Togwotee Pass, and firefighters are hustling to clean up around the 89,930-acre Pack Trail Fire.

“The crews are trying to get as much work done as they can in anticipation of being snowed out,” information officer Jessie Dubuque said.

Evacuation orders in both Teton and Fremont counties have been rescinded or downgraded. The only evacuation orders remaining are a Level 1 “Ready” status for the Union Pass subdivision, Lava Mountain Lodge, Triangle C Ranch and Old Mackenzie Ranch.

As fire activity decreased last week, emergency managers for both counties met and reevaluated the hazards in light of current and predicted weather, effectively declaring safety for the Pinnacle Heights summer homes and the historic Brooks Lake Lodge.

Inside the mosaic of the massive burned area, there are pockets of beetle-killed pine that burned significantly, spots with moderate burning of the grasses, and shrubs and some fuels that didn’t burn at all, Dubuque said. The fire is considered 70% contained.

Firefighters will be working to remove equipment and rehabilitate the ground they disturbed as part of the firefight.

“That way the fire line is rehabbed before the spring runoff to mitigate erosion,” Dubuque said.

More than 500 people from half a dozen agencies across 16 states are currently working on the Pack Trail Fire, and fire managers will discuss what size of team to rotate in as the current crew rotates out, Dubuque said.

“It’s been a really beautiful thing to watch,” Dubuque said, “how people from all walks of life come together. The crews that have been here on the ground have worked tirelessly to secure and confine the fire’s growth. We’re really proud of the work they’ve done. And the end is in sight.”

With the cooler temperatures and precipitation, firefighters’ main focus will be to repair the impacts of firefighting activities to “do what needs to be done to help the ecosystem recover.”

Several inches of snow are forecast for the upper elevations of the Pack Trail Fire on Tuesday, with the possibility of a couple of inches falling on the fire base camp in Dubois.

This story was published on October 26, 2024.