WYOMING – As wildland firefighters make good progress on the Keystone Fire in the southeast portion of the state, a new blaze was sparked near Cody on July 18 in the Shoshone NF…and it’s growing fast.
The June Fire is currently estimated at approximately 2,000 acres. An infrared flight could not be performed over the fire last night; the estimated acreage is based on observations from air and ground resources currently assigned to the June Fire.
The fire was first reported Tuesday, July 18, in the June Creek drainage approximately 1.5 miles south of the US Highway 14/16/20, also known as the North Fork Highway. The cause is under investigation.
A 20-person hotshot crew and a light (Type 3) helicopter arrived this morning. Additional hotshot crews and air resources will be arriving later today. Ground crews have begun structure protection work at the UXU Ranch and have begun assessing the Blackwater Lodge. Due to the increased complexity of the fire, a Type 2 Incident Management Team is enroute and will take command of the fire at the end of today’s operational period.
Hot dry conditions are forecast to continue today with wind gusts increasing this afternoon. Smoke is expected to be visible in Cody and the surrounding area.
