Most Recent Fire News

Earlier fire updates:
Saturday, August 12, 11 pm

Fires at a Glance: Closure Order to go into effect Monday
Sunday, August 13th, 9:00 pm

Summary: Due to concerns for the safety of backpackers in the area, a Special Closure Order is being proposed which will go into effect Monday, August 14th, for the Half Moon & Triangle Lakes fire areas. Both fires are still 0% controlled and have high potential to grow. The Type 2 Fire Team that was requested will not be coming due to higher needs on fires in other areas in the nation. Firefighters have been able to contain the Half Moon fire on the north and west sides, but winds have picked up and become erratic making fire fighting efforts much more difficult in the rugged terrain. Air tankers have made retardant drops on the Half Moon fire throughout the day, and a helicopter has been making water drops from water obtained from Half Moon Lake. Skyline Drive is now closed except to firefighting personnel & Half Moon Lake Resort employees who are assisting with the firefighting efforts. The Fremont Lake Campground and summer home area is still open and is not included in the Closure Order. 
Closure Map 
Closure Order

Half Moon Fire (Bridger-Teton National Forest, not in Wilderness Area):
Approximately 600 acres
0% controlled, some spotting occurring
Approximately 17 people on fire at present time for suppression, support & overhead.
A Type 2 Fire Team has been requested, but will not be coming.
Location: On northeast end of Half Moon Lake between Pole Creek and Grouse Lake.

Triangle Fire (Within Bridger Wilderness Area, Bridger-Teton National Forest):
Approximately 200 acres
0% controlled 
No firefighters on this fire at the present time. Unable to do more without helicopter support due to very steep, dangerous terrain. All manpower & other resources are presently on the Half Moon fire which has a higher priority. No threat to structures at this time. Due to concerns for safety of backpackers & hikers in the area, a Special Closure Order will go into effect Monday, August 14th. High potential to grow. 
Location: Between Long Lake/Upper Long Lake & Triangle Lake, approximately 2 miles east & 1 mile north of the head end of Fremont Lake.

Pinedale Ranger District personnel are continuing to battle the Half Moon fire which started Saturday afternoon near the trail on the northeast end of the lake near the inlet of Pole Creek. A Special Closure Order is expected to go into effect at midnight Sunday, August 13th closing the area to all human presence until further notice. Under the Closure Order, visitors will be required to leave the area. Up until now, they have been advised to leave, but allowed to stay if they refused to go. "We want to get people out safely now than have to evacuate them out by helicopter later when it is too late." said Cindy Stein, Logistics & Information Officer for the Pinedale Ranger District on the Half Moon & Triangle Lake fires. "They can always return later when things are safe. This is very remote, rough terrain. It will be very hard to contact people later. " Sublette County Sheriff's Office, Search & Rescue, & Forest Service personnel have been making initial contacts with visitors in the area and advising them of the fire conditions and suggesting they leave. "Those people who didn't leave voluntarily before will be told it's time to go." said Stein, "At the present time there is a danger to hikers, and that is why we are closing the area."  Skyline Drive will be open to those people returning from the trailhead & those who have been evacuated. Half Moon Lake Resort has voluntarily moved their guests to Pinedale, about 10 people. They continue to provide support for evacuation assistance working with the Sublette County Search and Rescue.

The Closure includes Elkhart trailhead, Pole Creek and Glimpse Lake trails, Long Lake and Long Lake trail, Triangle Lake, Hobbs Lake, Barbara Lake, Miller Lake, Sweeny Lake, Eklund Lake, Fayette Lake, Half Moon & Little Half Moon lakes, and runs along Skyline Drive. Fremont Lake campground and the summer homes are not included in the Closure area.

At this time firefighters have still been able to hold the north and west sides of the Half Moon fire, but the winds picked up this afternoon and became more erratic, making fire fighting efforts much more difficult. Forest Service personnel are making every effort to keep the fire from progressing further to the west which could threaten Half Moon Lake Resort and summer homes along the west side of the lake. Forest Service firefighters are very concerned about keeping the fire from spreading into the timber to the north where it will be very difficult to combat and might threaten the White Pine Ski Area, located approximately 3 miles northwest of the Half Moon fire. 

To date, there have been no fire-related injuries on either the Half Moon or Triangle Lake fires. Pinedale Ranger District personnel chased 3 reports of smokes today of potential new fires, but fortunatly all turned out to be due to be "ghosts", smoke lingering from other fires in the area. "We want to catch any new fires early. If we don't, we're going to be in trouble." said Stein.

In addition to dealing with fire fighting efforts, Pinedale Ranger District personnel were also handling two rescues which took place on the District today involving hikers in the Wilderness area, but unrelated to the fires. Both victims had to be helicoptered out by Life Flight. One incident involved a high-altitude sickness, and the second involved a climber who had to be helicopter rescued from Stroud Peak by the Sublette County Search and Rescue High Angle Team due to a climbing accident causing broken arms & legs. 

The Forest Service says that the fire conditions have worsened to the point where there now is a   danger to hikers & backpackers in the Bridger-Wilderness area, which is why the Closure is being implemented. "The length of the Closure is totally dependent on the fire behavior and our resources." stressed Stein. "We have very erratic fire behavior. The Type 2 Fire Team we requested won't be coming due to too high demand on other fires in the nation. We'll step up our team and resources and make do." said Stein

Anyone with concerns can contact the Sublette County Sheriff's office at 307-367-4378, or the Pinedale Ranger District, 307-367-4327. Hikers in the wilderness who may have cell phones and can get a signal out can call 911 and ask to be routed to the Sublette County Sheriff's office if they have concerns.

Earlier fire updates:
Sunday, August 13, 4 pm & 2:30 pm
Saturday, August 12, 11 pm

More area fire graphics:
National Interagency Fire Center Large Wildland Fire Map
National Interagency Fire Center web site (ww.nifc.gov)

Pursuant to 36CFR 26.50 (a) and (b), the following act is prohibited on the area, roads and trails described in this order within the Bridger-Teton National Forest until further notice.
1. Going into or being upon an area which is closed for the protection of public health or safety.
Pursuant to 36 CFR 261.50 (e), the following persons are exempt from this order.
1. Persons with a permit specifically authorizing or otherwise prohibited act or omission.
2. Any Federal, State or local officer, or member of an organized rescue or fire fighting force in the performance of an official duty.
Description of Area:
T34N, R107W, Section 6
T34N, R108W, Section 1-5, 9-12
T35N, R107W, Sections 6, 7, 18, 19, 30, 31
T35N, R108W, Sections 1-17, 20-29, 32-36
T36N, R107W, Section 31
T36N, R108W, Sections 28, 29, 31, 32, 33
Purpose: The purpose is to protect human life and provide for firefighter and public safety during firefighting and mop-up operations.
Violations of these prohibitions is punishable as a class B misdemeanor, by a fine or not more than $5,000.00 for an individual or $10,000.00 for an organization or imprisonment of not more than 6 months.

Pinedale Ranger District personnel are continuing to battle the Half Moon fire which started Saturday afternoon near the trail on the northeast end of the lake near the inlet of Pole Creek. This fire is believed to be man-caused, but this has not been confirmed. Fire fighting efforts at present are aimed at controlling the north and west flanks of the fire to keep it from going into the timbered areas to the north where it will be very difficult to fight or control. The terrain is very rough & uneven making it very difficult to get a line in. Trees are still exploding and the fire is moving quickly. Two air tankers from Pocatello, Idaho have made several retardant drops on the fire today, and a helicopter is continuing to make water drops from Half Moon Lake. The Half Moon Lake boat dock area is being used as a landing zone for the helicopter to land, reload & refuel.

Campers have been evacuated from the Half Moon Lake campground on the west end of the lake. Half Moon Lake Resort has not yet been evacuated, however an evacuation plan has been prepared in case that becomes necessary. Evacuation will only take place if the fire crosses a failsafe zone. At present, Half Moon Lake Resort personnel have been very cooperative in providing lake transportation for firefighting efforts. The Command Center for this fire is based off their pontoon boat out in the middle of Half Moon Lake where Forest Service personnel have an excellent view of the fire, hose lay lines, and helicopter & retardant drops. Half Moon Lake Resort has also provided a motor boat and a packer with a couple of mules to help move hose up & down the fire line. 

Sublette County Search & Rescue has had several ATV & horseback crews in the areas north of Half Moon Lake up to Photographer's Point advising visitors to leave the area. Campers are still able to stay at the Fremont Lake Campground and use the Fremont Lake Road. All Outfitters & Guides that have scheduled itineraries to operate in the area have been contacted and asked to reroute them. As of Sunday morning this was a recommendation, but that may change to a requirement if the situation worsens. Areas being recommended to use are Scab Creek to the south and New Fork Lakes area to the north. "We are trying to error to the side of safety." said Pinedale Ranger District Half Moon Fire Information & Logistics Officer Cindy Stein. Trails and the campground at Half Moon Lake have been closed completely.

The Skyline Drive road has been blocked off to necessary traffic only at the National Forest Boundary at the cattle guard just past the turnoff to the Fremont Lake Road/Lakeside Lodge access. A Sublette County officer stationed at the Forest entrance is allowing only firefighters & equipment and Half Moon Lake Resort personnel into the fire area.

To date, there have been no fire-related injuries on either the Half Moon or Triangle Lake fires. The Forest Service stresses that at the present time there is no danger to hikers or backpackers in the Bridger-Wilderness area. Anyone with concerns can contact the Sublette County Sheriff's office at 307-367-4378, or the Pinedale Ranger District, 307-367-4327. Hikers in the wilderness who may have cell phones and can get a signal out can call 911 and ask to be routed to the Sublette County Sheriff's office if they have concerns.

Fires at a Glance: Type 2 Fire Team Requested
Sunday, August 13th, 4 pm:

Half Moon Fire (Bridger-Teton National Forest, not in Wilderness Area):
Approximately 600 acres
0% controlled, some spotting occurring
Approximately 17 people on fire at present time for suppression, support & overhead
A Type 2 Fire Team has been requested.

Triangle Fire (Within Bridger Wilderness Area, Bridger-Teton National Forest):
Approximately 200 acres
0% controlled, low priority 
No firefighters on it at the present time. Unable to do more without helicopter support due to very steep, dangerous terrain. All manpower is presently on the Half Moon fire which has a higher priority. No threat to persons or structures at this time. High potential to grow. 
Location: Between Long Lake/Upper Long Lake & Triangle Lake, approximately 3 miles east & 1 mile north of the head end of Fremont Lake.

Earlier fire updates:
Sunday, August 13, 2:30 pm
Saturday, August 12, 11 pm

More area fire graphics:
National Interagency Fire Center Large Wildland Fire Map
National Interagency Fire Center web site (ww.nifc.gov)
 

Other fire news:
USDA Forest Service, Bridger-Teton National Forest News Release:
Crews Hold Their Ground on Boulder Fire
August 12, 2000 10:00 am
Crews working on the Boulder Fire continued to make slow but steady progress. The fire remained at 3,360 acres, is 14% contained, and has a 10.5 mile perimeter. Previous efforts by crews on the east, and northeast flanks of the fire have been successful in cooling these flanks. The southern flank of the fire, located within the Little Granite Creek drainage, continues to be plagued by numerous hot spots. Given the continued forecast for hotter, drier and windy weather, the southern portion of the fire continues to threaten to spread spot fires into the main Granite Creek drainage. Approximately half of the crews on the fire will concentrate their efforts on the fire's southern flank on Saurday. Due to continued threat to the structures in the Granite Creek drainage, the evacuation order and area closure remain in effect. Homeowners will be escorted into the area for a visit on Saturday, and officials hope that weather conditions and progress by firefighters will allow homeowners to reoccupy their homes early next week. Steps have been taken to maximize the chance of the structures' survival in the event that the fire spots into Granite Creek and makes a run at the structures. There is no estimate for containment of the Boulder fire. 
Contacts: Bridger-Teton National Forest, Jackson, Wyoming
Dave Cunningham or Mary Tyler (307) 739-5412