JACKSON, Wyo. — Bridger-Teton National Forest (BTNF) has had a busy fire season and it isn’t letting up. A new blaze was reported in the Big Piney Ranger District Saturday, Aug. 10, while the Leeds Creek Fire continues to burn in the Pinedale Ranger District.
The most recent wildfire, named the Merna Butte Fire, covered an area of 35 acres on Saturday, Aug. 10, had reached 77 acres Sunday and hit 153 acres as of Monday morning, according to BTNF’s Facebook page. The fire is burning in heavy timber and dead and downed fuels on Merna Butte, located about 18 miles northwest of Daniel. Its cause was still under investigation Monday, BTNF reported.
On Saturday, Aug. 10, planes sprayed fire retardant around the perimeter of the fire to suppress it and keep it from encroaching on infrastructure around the area of the fire, according to BTNF. Retardant can lower the temperature of the fire’s perimeter, which can slow its spread.
“Fire managers and personnel are working to tie those retardant lines in with hose line, natural holding features and fence line in the area,” BTNF reported Sunday.
The Sublette County Sheriff’s Office has put everyone in a one-mile radius of Merna Butte on a pre-evacuation notice, setting the area status as “Set,” on a scale of “Ready, Set, Go.” Those in a five-mile radius of the butte are under a “Ready” status.
There are currently over 100 firefighters combatting the new blaze. Initial responses Saturday included three air tankers, two helicopters and helitack crews, six fire engines and a fire module, or fire fighting team.
A road closure is in effect for Roberts Road, off of the Daniel-Merna Road, due to the fire. Firefighters are using the Horse Creek Road and people are asked to stay clear of that area.
Meanwhile, also in BTNF, the Leeds Creek Fire, which was first reported Aug. 1, has shrunk slightly from 845 acres on Aug. 7 to 780 acres Aug. 12. The fire went from 13% contained to 44% contained over that time period. That fire is burning approximately 16 miles southwest of Dubois. BTNF says it has about 70 personnel fighting the Leeds Creek fire.
These two fires come on the heels of the Horse Creek Fire in BTNF’s Fish Creek Drainage, which was first reported on July 1, and had reached 100% containment as of Aug. 2. That fire is officially considered “controlled,” according to BTNF Information Officer CJ Adams.
The forest has also seen several smaller 0.1 acre fires that forest crews have put out over the past few weeks. Adams says BTNF has had adequate manpower to combat all of the burns in the forest.
