JACKSON HOLE, WYO – The Dallas Fork fire was discovered this morning on the Bridger-Teton National Forest approximately 20 miles southeast of Moran, Wyoming.
For those with a keener sense of the area, the new blaze is about a half-acre in size just south of Hidden Lake, which is east of Leidy Lake and north of Dallas Lake in the heart of the Gros Ventre.
The Forest is not messing around with this blaze given the conditions and location. Though it was natural ignited, the Forest Service is fully suppressing the lightning-caused fire. It is currently smoldering in timber. There are no closures in effect at the moment.
Wildfires burning under the right weather conditions and in appropriate locations can break-up forest fuels and create landscapes that are more resistant to large, high-severity fires. A combination of tools, including the use of restoration wildfire, can help managers reduce the risk of future mega-fires in the Bridger-Teton National Forest.
Naturally-ignited fires managed for restoration purposes can improve forest health and resilience and resistance to high-severity wildfires. However, in the conditions for the Dallas fire and with the recent move to “High” fire danger, forest officials made the decision to extinguish the fire.
