JACKSON HOLE, WYO – Firefighters from the Bridger-Teton National Forest responded yesterday to the Roosevelt Fire on the Big Piney Ranger District. The fire is located approximately three miles west of the Upper Hoback trailhead near Roosevelt Meadows.
Hunters in the area reported the fire to Teton Interagency Dispatch on Saturday afternoon. The fire is approximately 80 acres, burning in heavy timber with group tree torching. Cause is unknown at this time.
Firefighters are monitoring the fire from the air and on the ground and assessing options for long-term management strategy. Fire personnel are hiking into the area to contact hunters in backcountry camps. The fire is in a remote area with steep rugged terrain.
A closure is being implemented for FS trail #131, Upper Hoback River Trail, which will be closed from the end of FS road #30700, Upper Hoback River Road to where it merges with the North Horse Creek Trail #053. Hunters and backcountry campers are being urged to stay out of the area near the fire.
Bridger-Teton National Forest was under Red Flag conditions for high winds and low relative humidity the day the fire was discovered. Warm, dry conditions are expected to continue through the week. There will be smoke visible in the area. Visitors and hunter to the area should remain alert and be prepared to modify their plans if fire behavior changes.
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.
Forest officials are also dispatching personnel to other incidents south of Jackson.
At this point, at least three new fires have been discovered on the Bridger-Teton. Spider Fire in the Bridger Wilderness Area near Bald Mtn Basin is two acres. Another fire near Corral Creek on the Greys River Ranger District is also throwing up smoke. Finally, a blaze in the Greys near McDougal Gap is getting some attention today. More information will be posted as the Forest Service officials get people on scene.
