Line of flames
The fire crested the ridge of Elk Creek into South Horse Creek around 2 PM today.
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South Horse Creek
View looking west from the Ryegrass-North Cottonwood Creek road. Snow-covered Triple Peak can be seen to the left of the treed hills. Once the fire burns those trees, it will be into the main North Cottonwood Creek drainage. Photo taken Thursday afternoon, by Allene Dana.
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House still standing
The private home still stands on the hill to the right in this photo from this afternoon. Structure protection is in place should the fire get closer. Photo by Allene Dana
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Fire crosses from Elk Ck into S Horse Creek
Crests the ridge and continues to move south
by Pinedale Online!
June 28, 2007
Thursday, 8:30 PM Update: The Horse Creek Fire crossed over the ridge from Elk Creek into South Horse Creek around 2:00 PM today (Thursday). Allene Dana sent in these photos of its progress.
One part of the fire is moving south, with the next likely big fire break being North Cottonwood Creek drainage. To get there, it will cross Maki and Little Maki Creek drainages. If it crosses over the ridge, it will get into Nylander Creek, Shoberg Creek and the main North Cottonwood Creek drainage.
Another part of the fire continues to move in an easterly direction, where it has the potential of moving over to Merna Butte.
Temperatures today approached 90 degrees with low humidities. Fire managers are using burn out operations on the northern and southern flanks inside control lines to consume fuel between the edge of the fire and the control line, in an effort to stop the rate of spread.
We have heard unconfirmed reports that the old tie hack cabins in Pass Creek were destroyed by the fire. There are other historic tie hack cabins in the South Horse Creek drainage and in the North Cottonwood Creek drainage that are at risk from this fire. There is a private summer home near the forest edge south of Little Maki Creek that is at risk if the fire continues to move south. The home on the hill north of South Horse Creek is still under structure protection.
Forest officials noted that the Inciweb website was down all day yesterday and the phone call volume to the Forest Service office significantly increased. The Forest Service greatly appreciates people using the websites to get updates and some of the basic questions answered, which helps with their ability to handle the phone call traffic from people concerned about this fire.
We also want to note that air tankers have been flying in out of Pocatello, Idaho, and Ogden, Utah, to drop retardant, as needed.
There are 363 firefighters working this blaze, which includes Forest Service, National Park Service, Hot Shot crews, hand crews, Sublette County volunteer fire department tanker crews, and many support people. The community thanks everyone who is helping with the firefighting efforts.
Photos by Allene Dana
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