WYOMING – Firefighters made additional progress on the Badger Creek Fire over the weekend. Rain across the fire area mitigated some of the threat from the fire, but also made access to and around the fire challenging due to flooding and muddy roads.
Crews worked to improve sections of the fire perimeter that were not yet contained, and patrolled the areas that are contained. Fire managers worked with utility providers in the area to access and repair any damage to infrastructure on Sunday.
The Badger Creek Fire is 20,090 acres, and now 88 percent contained. A total of 347 are assigned to the fire.
Minimal fire activity was observed Sunday, mostly limited to heavy concentrations of fuel within the interior of the fire.
Crews will address areas along the southern edge of the fire that they were not able to access on Sunday due to the poor access and road conditions. Fire engines will continue to patrol communities along Hwy 230 and on the southern edge of the fire. As cooperators continue to assess and repair utilities affected by the Badger Creek Fire, fire managers will continue to support those efforts to allow residents back into evacuated areas as quickly as it is safe to do so.
There will be a public meeting for the Badger Creek Fire on Tuesday, June 19 at 7pm. Fire officials and cooperators will provide updates about the current status of the fire and respond to questions and concerns from the audience. The meeting will be held at the Albany County Fairgrounds.
Weather: Approximately 0.25” to 0.50” of rain fell across the fire area on Sunday. Drier air will begin to move into the area beginning midday on Monday. Temperatures will be in the 70s, with relative humidity ranging between 24 to 28 percent. Winds will be from the southwest at 9-12 mph, gusting to 18 mph.
Closures and Public Safety: Beginning at 9am on Monday, June 18, Wyoming Highway 10 will reopen from Woods Landing to the Colorado state line. Colorado Highway 127 will also be reopened from the intersection with Colorado highway 125 to the Wyoming state line. Wyoming Highway 230 remains closed between Woods Landing and the Colorado state line at this time.
The communities of Mountain Home, Fox Park, and Foxborough, and those along Wyoming Highway 10 from Woods Landing south to the Colorado state line (including Woods Landing, New Jelm, and Jelm) are no longer under evacuation. Residents of the Mountain Home community should be aware that power to the community may not be restored until Monday night.
Residents of Fox Park and Foxborough will only be able to access their community from Albany, as Wyoming Highway 230 remains closed at this time. Evacuation orders remain in place for the communities of Wold Tract, Wyocolo, Gramm, Beehive, and Miller Lake at this time.
