(Fremont County, WY) – The Pack Trail Fire has grown slightly to 89,645 acres as of Thursday, October 24, according to the latest update from the U.S Forest Service Bridger-Teton National Forest.
There are currently 565 personnel on scene, and the fire is 66% confined.
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. On the east flank, crews will begin 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. Cold trailing continues along the fire edge as safety hazards allow. On the southwestern flank, crews are securing the edge of the fire, extinguishing hot spots and cold trailing from Park Creek to the West into Bacon Creek and Bang Creek. Firing operations may take place where conditions and crew capabilities allow. The precipitation received overnight is anticipated to help fire crews secure the fire edge even further. To aid in their mission to seek out and eliminate sources of heat on the fire line, they will be using a fixed-wing Unmanned Aircraft system (UAS). This technology is an effective application for use in steep, rugged terrain to be as efficient as possible while covering large tracks of land in little time.
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 39-44 degrees with minimum relative humidities from 39% – 44%. Winds from the west to northwest will be 6-11 MPH with gusts up to 23. A cold front will bring increased cloud cover and a chance for precipitation today before high-pressure returns for the weekend. Snow and rain showers diminish this morning, giving way to colder temperatures and higher humidities compared to the last two days. To learn more about air quality, visit Fire.AirNow.Gov.
Evacuations – Today’s evacuation information has since been updated. Click here to read more.
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.