Pinedale area fires, Pinedale Online

Fire Update
Monday, August 20, 2001, 10am
FIRE DANGER is: EXTREME

Boulder Lake Fire.

Location: Burning along the south slope of the ridge between Boulder Lake and Burnt Lake

Size: Approximately 350 acres

Status: Fire is burning along the south slope toward the east, but is quiet. As long as it stays cool and the wind does not pickup, control of the fire looks good. However, if the weather changes and the fire reaches trees, spotting could occur and it could blow up fast.

Boulder lake Fire map.

Terrain & Fuels: The fire is burning almost entirely in sagebrush and grass. One pocket of aspens near the shore of Boulder Lake has burnt. The leading edge of the fire to the northeast is in fairly steep and rocky terrain, making it hard to fight.

Containment: The fire has now been classified as Type 3 due to the complexity of the terrain. There is a local incident commander in charge, but the fire is still being managed out of the district. It is 35% contained with all of the containment on the southwest where the fire started. Boulder Lake to the south and the burnt area to the southwest are providing great barriers. The main concern is to keep the fire from breaking over the ridge to the north and spreading along the south slope of the ridge on the east

Crews and Equipment: Today there are approximately 100 firefighters, 6 pumper trucks and 2 helicopters with buckets fighting the fire. There were 6 retardant drops by tankers yesterday which were very helpful in holding the top of the ridge. The tankers are available again today if necessary. Yesterday about 60 firefighters, 8 pumpers and 1 helicopter were fighting the fire in addition to the tankers.

Closures: All the trails, campgrounds and area around Meadow Lake, Burnt Lake and Blueberry Lake have been closed and evacuated for public safety. The north shore area of Boulder Lake is also closed. Burnt Lake Road has now been closed at Highway 191. Blueberry Lake and Trail are in the current path of the fire, while Burnt and Meadow Lakes could be in danger if the fire tops the ridge and starts spreading north. These closures will remain in effect at least today, but will be reevaluated this evening.

Structures & Homes: The Boulder Lake estates and Boulder Lake Lodge are not in danger for now and will not be in danger unless the fire continues to the east. The east front of the fire is the main concern and getting most of the attention for this reason. Skinner Brothers camp on the north shore is also not in danger at this time, but has been evacuated in case the fire shifts to the north. The top of the ridge to the north is also getting a lot of attention and retardant drops can be used on the ridge if necessary.

Cause: Investigation is still ongoing, but the fire probably started about noon on Sunday, August 19th, 2001 and was human caused. Exact cause is not known, but could have started on private ground. The fire moved very fast in the beginning and by late evening had spread to about 350 acres.

Notes:

Please remember fire danger is EXTREME. Fire restrictions are in place for all of Sublette County. Fires are prohibited outside designated recreation areas, but make sure your fires are completely out. Smoking is not allowed except in vehicles, buildings, developed recreation sites, or cleared to the ground in a 3-foot diameter.

Call in ANY smokes and especially columns of smoke that you see. Resources are stretched and even in the best cases, it can take hours for a crew to reach a fire. As early notice as possible can be of great help. Two helicopters are available when not fighting fires to investigate any smoke reports.

Big thanks to The Sublette County Sheriff Department and Sublette County Search & Rescue for taking the lead in the evacuations. Also a big thanks to the Fire Departments for personnel and pumpers to fight the fire.

Latest Fire Press Releases

Looking south from Skinner Brothers Camp at smoke plume south of ridge on Sunday before evacuation.

One helicopter was available for water drops on Sunday and was used to stop the fire from breaking over the ridge and spreding north to Burnt Lake.

The fire did reach the top of the ridge, but firefighters were able to stop it from spreading north and reaching trees around burnt lake.

Looking east from Burnt Lake Road at fire on the ridge between Burnt and Boulder Lakes. One of 6 retardent drops by tankers on Sunday helping stop fire at top of ridge.

Pictures are courtesy of Monte Skinner taken Sunday afternoon just prior to having to leave Skinner Brothers Camp located on the north side of Burnt Lake. Skinner Brother camp is not in danger for now, but was evacuated in case the fire shifts north. Monte said they didn't have much time to gather equipment. He took as many horses as he could and then released the rest. They will have to find them when the closure is lifted. For more pictures of the fire goto our photo page. For more information about Skinner Brothers Camp visit www.wyomingoutdoors.com.

Where to get more information:

For More Info on the Web

Teton Fires
Bridger-Teton National Forest
National Interagency Fire Center NIFC Wildland Fire Map

Bridger-Teton Fire Info
Staffed Phone: 307-739-5577
7:00 am-10 pm

Jay Anderson, BTNF Public Affairs, Jackson
307-739-5542

Pinedale Ranger District
29 CR-154, Pinedale
307-367-4326

Big Piney Ranger District
315 S. Front, Big Piney
307-276-3375

Where to report fires:
Sublette County Sheriff's Office
911 or 307-367-4378
Pinedale Ranger District
307-367-4326
Big Piney Ranger District
307-276-3375
BTNF Supervisor's Office (Jackson)
307-739-5500
Teton Fire Dispatch
(Grand Teton Park in Moose)
307-739-3630
307-739-3300

Callers are reminded that if they are using a cell phone, they may not get a local office when they dial 911. The best place to call for area fires is either the local Sheriff's office or the Bridger-Teton Fire Office. Be prepared to give a location of the smoke, your name, where you are calling from, and how they can get ahold of you again for more information if needed.

Partial open fire and smoking restrictions are in effect for all of Sublette County, Bridger-Teton National Forest, State and BLM lands.Open fire restrictions went into effect Wednesday, August 1st for the entire Sublette County and Bridger-Teton National Forest. Details of the fire restrictions are posted at forest entrances, trails, and at District offices. Basically, you can have a campfire in a developed recreation area still, but no where else. You can also still use a chainsaw to get firewood, but must have an approved spark arrestor, fire extinguisher and shovel nearby. Fire danger is currently at EXREME.

"We're in worse condition this year than we were last year as far as vegetation, dryness conditions and overall lack of water. Ponds and creeks are drying up that haven't dried up before" commented Cindy Stein of the Pinedale Ranger District. Lightning storms have been passing through very frequently and strikes have been causing small fires, mostly in the upper Green River area of our part of the Bridger-Teton National Forest. The Forest Service fire crews have been getting on these fires very quickly with ground crews and by helicopter, so fortunately none has become very large. New small fires have been up in the Jack Creek area by Fisherman Creek near Bondurant and Rock Creek. These have all been small spot fires that have been fairly quickly put out.

Pick Your Spot Carefully
"People need to choose their campsites carefully as far as their own safety goes. It may be very difficult to stop a fire when one starts. Think about alternate routes out in case the trailheads you chose are closed. Keep an eye out for smoke columns and report them as soon as you can, being careful to ensure your own safety first" said Stein. The Wind River Range gets thousands of visitors every season, some seeking the remotest parts of the range to 'escape' to for their recreation experience. It may take days to hike in and out of some of these locations. People sometimes have the idea that if a fire gets started, they'll just call out on their cell phones and the Forest Service will send a helicopter to get them out. What they may not realize, however, is that many parts of the Wind River mountains don't get cell phone reception. Also, should a fire get started, helicopter resources will be diverted to fire fighting efforts. It would be impossible for emergency services people to helicopter out all of the several thousand people who are in the Wind River mountain backcountry at any given moment during the peak of the summer. Wilderness recreationists should make their own contingency plans for emergency situations requiring detours or evacuation, and know alternate routes to get to where they are wanting to go should the need arise.

Campfires & Cigarettes
The Forest Service is still finding campfires that have been left unattended by campers. With the present restrictions that are in effect, campfires are now only allowed in designated recreation areas, such as campgrounds, with fire pits. No open campfires are allowed in dispersed areas, even if they have a campfire ring. Campers are also being asked to be extremely careful with cigarettes, and to make sure they are completely out. "People don't realize how many fires get started by cigarettes that aren't completely out" said Stein. "They can smolder for days. People think they are out, but they aren't."

It Might be a Very Costly Camping Trip
Carelessness could prove to be very expensive. If you cause a wildfire due to a campfire you left burning, or a cigarette you didn't make sure was completely extinguished, you may find yourself liable for the firefighting expenses. The Forest Service has gone after people who start fires due to gross negligence or reckless endangerment and homes are threatened or lost, and the responsible person has had to pay for the costs of the fire suppression. The Green Knoll fire is now believed to have been started by a careless camper that left a campfire burning. The price tag for that fire now stands at 12.7 million dollars.

The Interagency Fire Information Center is open up in Jackson for fire questions daily from 7 am until 10 pm. You can get information, updated several times daily, online at the Teton Fires web site, www.tetonfires.com. If you need to talk with someone in person, call (307) 739-5577. We encourage people to check out the web site first to find the answers to your questions.

You can also get information, updated several times daily, from the Wyoming Department of Tourism regarding how fires may affect your planned trip. Their web site is: www.wyomingtourism.org.

Earlier Updates:
Sunday, August 19 update
Wednesday, August 8 update
Wednesday, August 1 update
Sunday, July 29 update
Friday, July 27 update
Wednesday, July 25 update
Tuesday, July 24 update
Monday, July 16 update
Monday, July 9 update
Sunday, July 8 update
Saturday, July 7 update
Friday July 6, 2001 9 pm update
Friday, July 6, 2001 8 am update
Thursday, July 5, 2001

FIRE DANGER IS VERY HIGH

Press Releases:
Click here for the latest: http://www.tetonfires.com/media/index.htm
July 25, 2001 (BTNF/GTNP) Evacuation Ordered for Two Fire Area Subdivisions. Green Knoll Fire Receives Top Priority for Suppression.
July 24, 2001 (BTNF) Green Knoll Fire Experiences Limited Growth
July 24, 2001 (BTNF/GTNP) Green Knoll Fire Area Estimates Reevaluated
July 22, 2001 (BTNF) Green Knoll Fire Update
July 22, 2001 (BTNF) Mosquito Creek Fire Update
July 14, 2001 (BTNF) Lightning Show Sparks More Fires on the BTNF
July 13, 2001 (BTNF) New Fires Ignite as Incident Management Teams Depart BTNF
July 9, 2001 (BTNF) Greys River Complex Fire Fact Sheet
July 8, 2001 (BTNF) Fire Crews Released as Teams get a grip on Complex Fires
July 8, 2001 (BTNF) Greys River Complex Fire Fact Sheet
July 7, 2001 (BTNF) Positive Outlook on BTNF Fisherman Complex Fires
July 7, 2001 (BTNF) Greys River Complex Fire Fact Sheet
July 7, 2001 8:00 am (BTNF) National Teams Arrive on BTNF Fires
July 6, 2001 8:00 am (BTNF) National Teams Called in to Manage BTNF Forest Fires
July 5, 2001 3:00 pm (BTNF) Thirteen Fires Burning on Bridger-Teton National Forest
July 5, 2001 8:00 am (BTNF) Eleven Fires Burning on Bridger-Teton National Forest

Anyone with concerns about fires can contact the Sublette County Sheriff's office at 307-367-4376, or the Pinedale Ranger District, 307-367-4326. 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.

Last Year's Fires: 2000 Fire pages
Pinedale Online front page

Pinedale Online fire update. Local fire status information provided by the Pinedale Ranger District, US Forest Service Bridger-Teton National Forest. Copyright 2001.