UPDATE: More details on the situation are available here.
(Fremont County, WY) – Following a discussion with Fremont County Fire Protection District officials at today’s June 23 Commission meeting, the Fremont County Commissioners have announced that fire restrictions will go into place for Fremont County starting Monday, June 29.
FCFPD Chief Ron Wempen addressed the Commission with his concerns, citing the “relative ease” of fires caused by ignition sparks that the agency has seen, over the past two weeks especially, which Wempen called “unprecedented.”
“It’s something that I haven’t seen in 39 years,” Wempen said. “And what I’m talking about is that we have had some structure fires that have started easily, that have been attributed, (according to) the State Fire Marshal’s Office investigators, as smoking debris causes, and the latest one has resulted in injuries to the public.”
Wempen then explained that the FCFPD’s federal partners, the Bureau of Indian Affairs Forestry and Fire Management – Wind River Agency, already have restrictions in place, and that the Bureau of Land Management is expected to announce restrictions starting on June 29.
Wempen initially suggested to the Commission that “in light” of the “250th anniversary of the nation,” the restriction go into place at 12:01 AM on July 5, but added, “not that I don’t have concerns with that.”
During the discussion following the initial proposal date, Commissioner Jenny Wilson said that, after speaking with her constituents, they have “expected a ban to be put on because it is so dry and they are concerned about massive fires.”
“Everybody realizes we have the 250th going on,” Wilson said, but she expressed concerns about the safety of “everybody.”
“I really don’t want to see the county burn,” Wilson added.
Wempen explained that the FCFPD considered placing the restriction back in the Spring, as the BIA did, but they didn’t want to rescind the restriction if moisture levels picked back up, only to have to put it back in place in the middle of the summer when conditions were expected to worsen once again.
Chief Wemepen then brought up some of the local fires that have been consistent this Spring and early Summer, which factored into the restriction recommendation. He cited a fire this past weekend in the South Pass area that started from a private land homeowner’s campfire from the week before that did not get fully extinguished, which Wemepn noted, was in a “well-built fire pit” that ultimately burned through the roots of the nearby trees, “in excess of 15 feet” before it got to an actual tree.
“The soil moisture this year just does not exist,” Wempen said when Chairman Larry Allen noted that “roots staying hot” seems to be a pattern with recent fires, even when it seems like they have been extinguished.
Chief Wempen then expressed concerns about agricultural exemptions for burning on irrigated ground that were put in place with past fire restrictions. He later cited a recent fire in Fort Washakie that started in a green-grass pasture with standing water beneath it, and said one of the fire trucks got stuck while trying to fight the fire. He called this a “red flag,” and suggested that any agricultural burning on irrigated ground be done in the morning hours and that someone be present at the fire with a water source.
Chief Wempen later added that, with the expected fireworks celebrations on July 4, fire responder resources will be “spread thin,” and cited an instance from July 4 back in 2022 when firefighters responded to 35 calls in three and a half hours.
“That stretches our people,” Wempen said. “I want the public to understand. We’re going to send you all the help as quickly as we can, but when you have that many incidents going on spread across such a large area, it might take us a minute. “
“I gotta be the Debbie Downer here, but it feels like we’re taking a risk…” Commissioner Mike Jones interjected. “I get it, big celebration, but if we burn half the county down because we want to have a party… this concerns me.”
“Mr. Chairman, I’m not gonna argue that,” Wempen said. “And if your recommendation is to go along with the BLM on Monday morning, I am not going to dispute that. I don’t disagree.”
Commissioner Wilson agreed.
“…I want to have fun, everybody wants to have fun,” Wilson said. “We know what this celebration means, but I’m more concerned about being so stretched out… I’m with Mike.”
“…When I have people ending up in the burn center in Greeley, CO, our residents, that bothers me, and it bothers me that the risk that my folks are getting in,” Wempen said, adding this year is “different” than anything he has seen in his career.
Commissioner Ron Fabrizius then commented that residents will likely still light off fireworks regardless of the restriction, but they should know that if they do and it causes a fire in a neighbor’s field, for example, they will be held responsible.
“You’re absolutely right, it is not 100% going to stop fireworks,” Wempen responded, adding that Fabrazius was correct about those residents being held responsible, but that would be the case regardless of restrictions being in place.
The fire restriction resolution was then put to a vote and approved, and states the following:
“…Effective June 29, 2026, at 12:01 AM, until further notice, that any open fire, or discharge of any Class A, B, and/or C fireworks is prohibited on all state and private land, including but not limited to lands in Fremont County under which Fremont County holds or holds an interest, including county roads, easements and right-of-ways of Fremont County. The prohibition is subject to exceptions which are traditional that we published before, with the addition of a member of the public who is burning agricultural vegetation within the compliance can be irrigated, provided that the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office dispatch has been notified of the burn, the responsible individual remains on the site by the water supply of suppression means, that the burning is completed and fire extinguished, and all burning must be completed between 6 and 10 a.m. in the morning.”
Chief Wempen then reiterated that this restriction “does not involve the incorporated towns.”
“I hope that the cities, their governments, the Tribes look at what we do and follow accordingly, and if not, they’re gonna be…” Commissioner Clarence Thomas remarked, cutting himself short. “…It is too dry.”
The County Commission can be reached at (307) 332-1130 with any specific questions regarding the restriction.
Editor’s Note: County 10 has reached out to the municipalities to determine whether they will implement any fire/fireworks restrictions, and a follow-up is forthcoming.