(Fremont County, WY) – Crews are actively working on various fronts to contain The Pack Trail Fire.
On the southern edge, a fuel break has been established along the 532 Road and securing the fire’s edge behind Cowboy Camp. The west flank remains challenging, particularly near Bacon Creek, where crews will connect containment lines and may conduct a small tactical burnout operation to manage fuel levels. On the east side, efforts are focused on cooling hotspots near the fire perimeter, connecting containment lines from the 540 to 645 road, and ensuring the functionality of sprinklers and pumps after cold weather. In addition, crews are mopping up hotspots and cold trailing the fire’s edge on the north side.
Despite recent precipitation, Teton Interagency Fire Managers have maintained a Very High Fire Danger Rating due to anticipated drying conditions and wind, which could facilitate rapid fire growth. Residents and visitors are urged to exercise extreme caution regarding potential ignition sources and to ensure campfires are fully extinguished. Road and forest closures are in effect to manage safety in fire-affected areas, including the closure of the Union Pass Road. Evacuation statuses have been updated for several local areas, and residents are encouraged to stay informed through official channels for any changes or alerts.
Find today’s full update below:
PACK TRAIL FIRE
Sunday, October 20, 2024 Update
Fire Information Phone: 307-395-2351 | Email: 2024.Packtrail @firenet.gov
Total Acres: 89,215 Confined: 62% Total Personnel: 541
Operations – On the southern edge, crews work to create a fuel break along the 532 Road and will cool and secure the fire’s edge behind Cowboy Camp. On the west flank, most of the remaining heat is in the southwest corner near Bacon Creek. Crews continue to connect containment lines in rough terrain above Elk Track Ranch and prepare for a possible small tactical burnout operation to reduce fuels along Bacon Creek Pack Trail and keep the fire east of the trail. On the east side, crews cooled down hotspots within 100 feet of the fire’s perimeter, connected containment lines from the 540 to 645 road, and checked sprinklers and pumps to ensure they were still operational after the cold weather. Crews will work to validate containment features above the 635 road and chip the debris along the 540 Road. On the north side, crews continue to mop up hotspots and cold trail the fire’s edge.
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. Any spark can ignite fire which can grow rapidly into a major incident. Residents and visitors are urged to exercise extreme caution with fires or other possible ignition sources. Never leave your campfire unattended, even for a moment. Always ensure someone is watching it or extinguish it completely before leaving. Drown the fire with water, stir the ashes, and feel with the back of your hand to confirm it is cool.
Please use caution while driving 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 sunny and warm with temperatures of 45-59 degrees with a minimum relative humidity’s between 23% – 37%. Winds from the southwest will be 5-10 MPH with gusts up to 15. Warmer and drier weather will return over the week. To learn more about air quality, visit Fire.AirNow.Gov.
Evacuations – Lava Mountain Lodge, Roaring River Subdivision, Buckboard Subdivision, Double Bar J Ranch, Lava Creek Ranch, Triangle C Ranch, Pelham Lake, Sheridan Creek Camp Areas, Old Mackenzie Ranch, Upper Gros Ventre, Darwin Ranch have been reduced to Level 2 “Set” status. Brooks Lake Lodge, Pinnacle, Breccia, and Long Creek, and Dunior areas have been reduced to a Level 1 “Ready” status. Union Pass subdivision remains in a Level 2 “Set” status. 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