JACKSON, Wyo. — The fire risk for Teton County, including Grand Teton National Park (GTNP), Bridger-Teton National Forest (BTNF) and the National Elk Refuge, has been raised to “very high” as of Wednesday, July 30, according to Jackson Hole Fire/EMS and Teton Interagency Fire.
At this designation, fires can start easily from most causes and spread rapidly with high intensity. Small fires can quickly grow in size and become difficult to control.
Jackson Hole Fire/EMS Deputy Chief Brian Coe confirmed that the fire danger in the area is now “very high,” but that rating alone does not carry any fire restrictions. Coe said the local fire department has weekly phone calls with other entities to assess whether fire restrictions should be imposed. Any potential restrictions will be announced when the decisions are made.
The only restrictions currently in place in Teton County are the partial regulations for the Alta area, passed by the Board of County Commissioners on Monday.
Fire managers use a variety of factors to determine fire danger ratings, including the moisture content of plant fuels; projected weather conditions; the ability of fire to spread after ignition; and the availability of firefighting resources nationwide.
“Fuels are what dominate the fire danger rating scale,” Coe told Buckrail.
According to Teton Interagency Fire, there are currently four active wildfires in the area, three of which are on BTNF land, and one in GTNP. The Horse and Signal Flat fires are “contained,” and the Travis Lake and Phillips fires are “controlled.”
Per the U.S. Forest Service, containment means that a fuel break has been completed around the fire, either made of natural barriers or manually constructed line. Control means that the fire has been extinguished and the fire line has been strengthened to prevent any flare-ups from crossing outside the perimeter.
Teton Interagency Fire personnel have found and put out 75 abandoned or unattended campfires this year. Especially in these conditions, a campfire can quickly become a wildfire, and campers can be held financially responsible for the cost of putting it out.
