JACKSON, Wyo. — Due to dry conditions and regional fire restrictions, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department has banned open fires on many department-managed properties where people camp and recreate.
Those planning a trip to a wildlife habitat management area or public access area can check a comprehensive listing of fire restrictions on the Game and Fish fire ban webpage. Restrictions are updated automatically as soon as they are set in place. Restrictions also are displayed on individual WHMA and PAA webpages.
One of the most effective ways the public can help prevent forest fires is by adhering to fire restrictions says Game and Fish.
Ray Bredehoft, chief of the Habitat and Access Branch at Wyoming Game and Fish, said the mid-summer hot and dry climate increases the possibilities of fires caused by campfires, not only at WHMAs and PAAs but on all lands open to the public in the state.
“An action as simple as leaving a campfire’s warm ashes or littering a still-smoldering cigarette can cause a fire on the landscape. In July and August, they can grow quickly,” Bredehoft said. “Remaining cautious with anything that has an open flame or can burn, including stoves, matches and lighters to name a few, is extremely important for Wyoming’s habitat and wildlife.”
The following acts are prohibited on all Wyoming Game and Fish Commission-owned and administered lands with a fire ban:
- Building, maintaining, attending or using a fire, campfire charcoal grill, coal or wood burning stove
- Smoking except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable material
- Fireworks are always prohibited on Wyoming Game and Fish Commission lands
