Nearly 100-acre wildfire breaks out near Spread Creek
JACKSON (WNE) β A wildfire that broke out near Sagebrush Flat near Spread Creek on Wednesday grew to between 80 and 100 acres by late afternoon.
The blaze is a few miles due south of Hatchet Resort in the Bridger-Teton National Forest near the base of Togwotee Pass.
Trees are burning from the bottom up, which is known as torching, and embers are spreading the fire due to high winds, according to the Bridger-Teton. The fire has jumped over the Flagstaff Road, said CJ Adams, a spokesperson for the forest. The fire is in the Blackrock District of the forest.
Fire managers are concerned about the winds and the timeline for suppression is unclear, Adams said. Wind was gusting to at least 37 mph Wednesday and was expected to increase to around 50 mph on Thursday, the National Weather Service in Riverton said.
On Wednesday afternoon, firefighters were working to suppress the fire using a helicopter and two fire engines. The forest was seeking additional resources to help with suppression, Adams said.
Forest personnel do not know what started the fire, Adams said.
The fire season appears to be beginning early, Adams said, noting that the observation was anecdotal. The forestβs first fire of the season was on April 11, when a tree caught on fire at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.
The county has already seen at least two escaped prescribed burns this season. The first occurred during a heat wave in mid-March in Wilson and the second was over the weekend at the Snake River Ranch.
By late April, Bridger-Teton rangers had already found abandoned campfires at Shadow Mountain.
This story was published on May 14, 2026.Β