JACKSON, Wyo. — After being discovered yesterday, the Kinky Creek Fire deep in the Gros Ventre Wilderness has reached an estimated 350 acres in size.
The blaze is burning east of town, near the southeastern corner of Teton County on the Jackson Ranger District of Bridger-Teton National Forest (BTNF). Teton Interagency Fire crews responded yesterday to find the fire burning in timber on a steep slope, quickly growing with active fire behaviors including torching, spotting and running.
“Yesterday, smokejumpers were able to create an anchor point at the heel of the fire and are working to keep the fire on the west side of the Gros Ventre River,” BTNF shared Wednesday morning. “An anchor point is a secure location that firefighters establish to begin building fireline from. Other resources began setting up structure protection around Darwin Ranch.”
BTNF noted that fire managers are implementing direct extinguishment and indirect confinement strategies to fight this fire. In direct extinguishment, firefighters “engage the active flame front directly to stop fire spread.” In indirect confinement, “firefighters work away from the active flame front to steer or contain the fire.” Resources include a type 3 helicopter, air attack, smoke jumpers and fire engines, totaling more than 50 firefighters working to suppress the flames. More resources will arrive today.
A type 3 incident management team is expected to arrive by Wednesday evening, per BTNF’s Wednesday morning update. The multi-agency organization of firefighting specialists will be able to handle the complex incident with more time and resources than the local BTNF team could handle alone, BTNF stated.
“The public is asked to avoid Kinky Creek Road; Kinky Creek and Clear Creek trails; and Brewster, Lunch, and Chateau lakes so fire crews can work safely and efficiently,” BTNF’s update reads. “A forest closure order of the area is forthcoming.”
Keep an eye on fire updates and closures on InciWeb.
