JACKSON, Wyo. — Emergency management agencies in Teton and Fremont counties announced updates to previously imposed evacuation orders surrounding the Pack Trail Fire on Thursday, Oct. 24.
“Due to reduced hazards from the Pack Trail Fire, the ‘Set’ (Prepare to Evacuate) stage has been lifted for the Upper Gros Ventre and Darwin Ranch areas as of 11 a.m. on Oct. 24,” Teton County Emergency Management said via Teton_WY alert on Thursday. “These areas are now in the ‘Return’ stage, and residents may return to their property. At this time, there are no longer any protective action stages (‘Set’ or ‘GO!’) in effect in Teton County, WY.”
Similarly, Fremont County Emergency Management downgraded the following areas from “Set” stage to “Ready” status: Union Pass, Lava Mountain Lodge, Roaring River Subdivision, Buckboard Subdivision, Double Bar J Ranch, Lava Creek Ranch, Triangle C Ranch, Pelham Lake, Sheridan Creek Camp Areas and Old Mackenzie Ranch.
“While the immediate threat of the wildfire has been mitigated, we urge residents to remain cautious,” Fremont County Emergency Management posted to Facebook on Thursday. “Please be on the lookout for any residual hazards such as smoldering hotspots or damaged infrastructure.”
Both agencies measure wildfire danger on an evacuation scale of “Ready, Set, Go!” The areas mentioned above had been previously de-escalated on Oct. 18, allowing residents to return to their homes.
According to Bridger-Teton National Forest (BTNF), the fire’s size is estimated to be 89,645 acres, a number that has held relatively steady for the past week. BTNF noted in its Thursday update that the fire is seeing “little” activity in areas, helped in part by the arrival of some rain and snow, cooler temperatures and higher humidity.
“The precipitation received overnight is anticipated to help fire crews secure the fire edge even further,” BTNF posted to Facebook. “To aid in their mission to seek out and eliminate sources of heat on the fire line, they will be using a fixed-wing Unmanned Aircraft system (UAS). This technology is an effective application for use in steep, rugged terrain to be as efficient as possible while covering large tracts of land in little time.”
Despite changes to evacuation orders, forest closures surrounding the fire remain in effect through Nov. 15, unless rescinded sooner.
See the Pack Trail Fire on InciWeb for updates. Teton County residents should keep an eye on tcincident.org for updates and maps. Fremont County residents can watch the Fremont County Emergency Management Facebook page.
