Skull Creek fire scorched 880 acres

Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
 
The Skull Creek Fire burned over 880 acres 6 miles northwest of Osage before 100% containment was achieved on June 11 — just over 48 hours after the fire was reported on June 9.  
Earlier in the day on June 11, according to a press release from Weston County Emergency Management, fire crews were able to hold lines overnight and containment had increased to 80%. Fire crews increased containment to 100% later that evening. 
The priority of the fire fighting effort had been firefighter and public safety with pre-evacuation orders being issued for the Sundowner Trails Subdivision, the Skull Creek subdivision and Dry Creek Subdivision over the course of the fire’s life, although no evacuations or road closures were required, according to Emergency Management Coordinator Gilbert Nelson. 
The multi-agency effort, according to the release, included more than 40 fire professionals, several fire engines and multiple water trucks, dozers and blades. 
“Cooperators managing the fire include Weston County Fire Protection, Wyoming State Forestry, Weston County Sheriff’s Office, Weston County Emergency Management and the United States Forest Service Thunder Basin National Grassland unit,” the emergency management release states.  
In addition to the Skull Creek fire, approximately 9 fires have been reported in the county since Friday, June 5. According to the release, most of the fires were lightning caused and Fire Warden Daniel Tysdal said that all were extinguished quickly except for the Much Creek Fire on June 4, scorching 262 acres. 
Both Fire Warden Daniel Tysdal and Nelson encourage the public to remain vigilant in preventing and reporting potential fires as the drought continues and fire danger is rising. 
“Tysdal asks that if you see new smoke or columns of smoke to please call 911,” the release says. 
Tysdal told the News Letter Journal that he has officially requested that the board of Weston County Commissioners implement the Open Burn Restrictions, due to the continued fire danger, lack of moisture and predicted high temperatures. Burn restrictions, he said, help to limit the number of human-caused fires and preventing any overextensions of the fire fighting capabilities of local governments. 
“The takeaway is the drought conditions the past two years and the current hot, dry weather will continue to deteriorate conditions in Weston County,” Tysdal said. “Extreme caution should be used in any outdoor activity that could cause a wildfire.” 
As of June 10, the U.S. Drought Monitor categorized portions of Weston County in various stages of drought ranging from D0, or abnormally dry, to D3, which is extreme drought. In between are D1, moderate drought, and D2, severe drought. Historically observed impacts of a D1 drought include low hay and forage yield, elevated fire danger and less available irrigation water. 
Once D2 drought is reached, impacts include poor pasture conditions, stress on trees and vegetation, and low water pressure, with D3 drought adding inadequate surface water for ranching and farming operations. 
“Precipitation so far this water year, since Oct. 1, 2020, has been below average,” the monitor notes. 
According to historic data from the National Weather Service, Newcastle received a total of 9.34 inches of precipitation during the 2020 calendar year, while Upton received 8.42 inches. Through the end of April of this year, Newcastle received 3.22 inches of precipitation, compared with Upton’s 2.57 inches. A report from the weather services notes that 1.59 inches of precipitation fell in May. 
Before the two exceptionally dry years of 2020 and the first quarter of 2021, Weston County experienced two of the wettest years on record, receiving 24.59 inches of precipitation in 2018 and 21.15 inches in 2019. Upton, during the same period, received 21.61 inches and 22.31 inches, respectively. 
Drought conditions are not expected to subside, according to the Wyoming Water Supply Outlook from Wyoming Natural Resource Conservation Services hydrologist Jim Fahey. 
The outlook for temperatures in the area is reported to be above average, while the precipitation outlook for Weston County is below average.  According to drought.gov, the county is predicted to be abnormally dry with the drought persisting for sometime. 
Currently, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, 90.24% of Wyoming is categorized as D0 drought, 72.3% is listed as D1, 27.1% of the state is in a D2 drought, and 6.3% is listed as being in a D3 stage of drought.