(Fremont County, WY) – The Pack Trail Fire remains at 89,930 acres as of Monday, October 28, according to the latest update from the U.S Forest Service Bridger-Teton National Forest.
There are currently 445 personnel on scene, and the fire is 78% confined (up 8% from yesterday).
(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 rest of today’s update is below.
Operations – Nevada Team 4 will take command of the Pack Trail tomorrow at 0600. On the north and east sides of the fire, crews continue to identify and prioritize suppression repair needs prior to the forecasted snow event. Cold trailing continues along the fire perimeter as safety hazards allow. Crews continue to break down and back haul remaining structure protection equipment along Highway 26. On the southwestern flank, crews are cleaning ditches as the chipping of slash from shaded fuel breaks is complete from Union Pass to the Strawberry Warming Hut area. Crews are removing structure protection in the southern end of Gros Ventre Valley. Precipitation and cold temperatures continue to aid suppression efforts on the fire.
Safety – Despite the recent and predicted 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.
“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 our aviators and firefighters on the ground.
Weather—It will be mostly cloudy today as a cold front approaches, bringing with it scattered rain and snow showers. Snow levels should drop to 7,500 to 8,000 ft by the evening. Showers turn to snow everywhere by late Monday evening, with chances for snow peaking from Monday night into Tuesday. Accumulations will range from 2-8 inches depending on elevation. Temperatures will range from of 43-48 degrees and minimum relative humidities of 40-45%. Winds from the southwest to west will be 7-12 MPH with gusts up to 23 MPH. Another cold front is predicted to bring additional precipitation as the week continues. 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.