(Fremont County, WY) – The Pack Trail Fire has grown slightly to 89,921 acres as of Friday, October 25, according to the latest update from the U.S Forest Service Bridger-Teton National Forest.
There are currently 631 personnel on scene, and the fire is 70% confined.
(Note: A fire is confined when it’s managed within a predetermined area, usually defined by geographic features. Confinement strategies use a combination of direct and indirect actions, as well as natural features, fuel, and weather factors. A fire is contained when it’s stopped from spreading within a specific area, either by natural or constructed features. The percentage of containment is the amount of fireline that’s been completed around the fire’s perimeter. )
The full update for today is below.
Operations – On the north side of the Pack Trail Fire, crews continue to complete fire suppression repair where there is little fire activity. Cold trailing continues along the fire edge as safety hazards allow. On the east flank, crews continue to break down structure protection equipment along Highway 26. Firefighters will assess and improve confinement lines along the 540 Road and the Lava Burn Scar connecting to natural features on Lava Mountain. On the southwestern flank, crews continue to secure the fire’s edge, cold trailing from Park Creek west toward Bacon Creek and Bang Creek. The precipitation and cold temperatures continue to aid suppression efforts on the fire. Helicopters are being utilized in the backcountry to backhaul unnecessary equipment and supplies.
Safety – Despite the recent precipitation, Teton Interagency Fire Managers are maintaining the Very High Fire Danger Rating for Grand Teton National Park, the Bridger-Teton National Forest, the Shoshone National Forest, and the National Elk Refuge. This precipitation was not a fire season-ending event. Due to wind, fuels will begin to rapidly dry out when the snow melts. Residents and visitors are reminded to exercise extreme caution when dealing with fires or other possible ignition sources.
Please use caution while driving in these areas, especially on narrow secondary roads. Always expect to encounter fire vehicles and heavy equipment in and around the fire area. Check with WY-DOT for possible closures due to fire activity, especially if you are planning to travel on US-26 across the Continental Divide. Closures are not expected, but with active fire in the area checking status before travel is recommended.
“If you fly, we can’t.” Remember that flying a personal drone over a fire area during a temporary flight restriction is illegal and can be an extremely dangerous threat to both our aviators and firefighters on the ground.
Weather— Today will be mostly cloudy, with temperatures of 47-52 degrees and minimum relative humidities of 20-25%. Winds from the south to southwest will be 4-9 MPH with gusts up to 16 MPH. High pressure will return to the area for the weekend, and with that, we will have clear skies and lower humidities. Snow and rain showers are predicted for the early part of next week. To learn more about air quality, visit Fire.AirNow.Gov.
Evacuations – Evacuation areas have been reduced to a Level 1 “Ready” status for the Union Pass subdivision, Lava Mountain Lodge, Triangle C Ranch, and Old Mackenzie Ranch. All other evacuation areas have been rescinded.
See the Fremont County Emergency Management Facebook Page for alerts and updates. See the Teton County Emergency Management website updates and to sign up for emergency alerts through Everbridge.
Road Closures – The Union Pass Road is closed on the Pinedale Ranger District (BTNF) from Mosquito Lake to the Moon Lake Road on the Wind River District (SHO). Moon Lake Road is also closed.
Forest Closures – Closure Order #04-03-24-317 is in effect from October 14, 2024, at 12:00 p.m. through November 15, 2024 at 12:00 a.m. unless rescinded. This order supersedes previous orders, including #04-03-24-316, prohibiting the same or similar acts in the same described area.
For more information, visit: Facebook: USDA Forest Service – Bridger-Teton National Forest, USDA Forest Service – Shoshone National Forest Pack Trail Inciweb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/wybtf-pack-trail-fire
Click here for all of County 10’s coverage of the Pack Trail/Fish Creek Fires.