(Riverton, WY) – The February 7 “Rein Fire” in Riverton grew to around 100 acres in just under an hour last weekend, showcasing how quickly flames can spread during dry, windy conditions.
That fire ultimately led to the evacuation of homes in the immediate area, including Rein Road, Railroad Ave., Red Crow Lane, and Goes In Lodge Road, but, fortunately, thanks to the efforts of fire responders, it did not cause any structural or power supply damage or result in any reported injuries.
In total, the Riverton Fire District deployed approximately 8 firefighting apparatus, Fremont County Fire Protection District provided mutual aid to the Riverton Fire District with approximately 14 apparatus in use, and assistance was provided by fire battalions from the Fremont County Fire Protection District including Battalion One Central, Battalion Two for Missouri Valley, Battalion Eight Midvale, Battalion Five Morton Kinnear, Battalion 10 out of Hudson, in addition to assists from BIA Fire and the Lander Volunteer Fire Department.
Riverton Fire Department Public Information Officer Henri DeClercq shared with County 10 that the official cause of the fire is still under investigation, but the fire agency is urging the public to reconsider controlled burns while conditions are dry, especially on windy days. (It should be noted that the reporting party (RP) of the Rein Fire told dispatch that the fire was a “controlled burn that has gotten out of control,” according to the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office call log issued on February 9.)
“As a reminder, with no winter precipitation, unseasonably warm temperatures, and the winds that we have been experiencing, the fuels are extremely dry; these conditions have led to extreme fire conditions,” DeClercq commented. “Please keep any burning to a minimum. Contact Riverton Police Department’s (307-856-4891) or Fremont County Sheriff’s Office (307-332-5611) dispatch centers to report any planned burns. Make sure trash barrels have covers when they are burning. And, most importantly, please do not leave any fires unattended.”
Since the February 7 fire, two more fires have been reported in the Riverton area, one on February 10, the other on February 11, one of which was confirmed to have stemmed from a “controlled burn.”
In addition to advising the community to reconsider controlled burns, DeClercq also wanted to show appreciation to the agencies that assisted during the Rein Fire.
“We want to thank BIA Forestry, BLM Fire, and the Forestry Service out of Cody for their assistance. We also want to give special thanks to Chief Ron Wempen and Division Chief Smokey Brown with Fremont County Fire for everything they provided. We want to thank all the FCFPD Battalions and firefighters for their time and suppression efforts. Chief Eric Siwik and his crew from Lander City Fire Department also deserve a huge thank you for providing an engine for coverage and their assistance getting all of our apparatus and equipment back in service!”