(Lander, WY) – Fremont County Sheriff Ryan Lee complimented local emergency crews this week for their quick response to the “very significant” fire that threatened multiple homes in Riverton earlier this month.
“There was a major, coordinated response from a multitude of first responders and agencies in this county,” Lee told the Fremont County Commission during a regular meeting Tuesday, commending the 100-plus responders involved for their “willingness to step up and help.”
“We can’t thank our volunteers in this county enough for what they do. They’re greatly appreciated.”
In addition to the agencies involved – including the Riverton Volunteer Fire Department, multiple battalions from the Fremont County Fire Protection District, the Bureau of Indian Affairs Forestry Division, the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, Frontier Ambulance, and the Riverton Police Department – Lee said “a numerous amount of citizens … stepped in and assisted” during the fire.
“It was a combined effort, and it worked very well,” he said, noting that no one was injured in the event, and no occupied structures were lost.
The fire started Oct. 16 near Little Shield Road, and Lee said it grew “very, very quickly in dry, windy conditions,” eventually jumping across the Big Wind River and spreading to cover about 170 acres of brush.
The Fremont County dispatch center received 82 calls about the blaze over the course of 45 minutes “just due to its size,” Lee said.
“Some of those calls were coming in to us from people that were traveling over South Pass (and) wanted to let us know that there was a fire in our county – which we were very well aware of,” he said. “(It) got very hectic.”
Other statistics
Lee’s report to the commission included several other statistics from his agency.
As of Monday, Lee said 151 inmates were being housed at the Fremont County Detention Center, including 16 that “came in over the weekend.”
Of those inmates, he said 106 are male, 43 are female, and two are juveniles.
Another inmate is being housed at the Wyoming State Hospital, he said.
Between Aug. 1 and Monday, Lee said his agency has recorded 571 total bookings, including 238 from the RPD, 170 from the FCSO, 111 from the Lander Police Department, 32 from the Wyoming Highway Patrol, 13 from the Shoshoni Police Department, five federal holds, and two from the Dubois Police Department.
The FCSO has received 5,635 calls for service so far this year, Lee said, and Fremont County Search and Rescue has responded to 14 missions.
Last year at this time, Lee said FCSR had responded to 23 missions.
“We were very busy last year,” he said. “This year’s been a little more easy on us … with the number of calls that have come in.”
Deputies recovering
Lee also informed the commission that the two deputies who were injured in a “very serious traffic collision” last month are still recovering.
The incident took place Sept. 28, he said, when the deputies – a field training officer and a trainee – attempted to exit a local highway.
“(They) signaled to turn left off the highway and unfortunately were T-boned by somebody that decided to pass,” Lee said. “The motorist was found at fault.”
For more information call the FCSO at (307) 332-5611.