JACKSON HOLE, WYO – Warm temperatures, high winds and low humidity places Teton County in a Red Flag Warning as fire crews continue to manage the Saddle Butte Wildland Fire. Weather conditions and a wildland fire at the edge of town yesterday have prompted county officials to put some fire restrictionsfire restrictions in place.
Due to the high fire warning, Saddle Butte Subdivision remains in an evacuated state and will continue to stay evacuated overnight. Jackson Hole Fire/EMS Chief Brady Hansen is meeting with the Saddle Butte HOA at 11:00am to talk to homeowners about the continued evacuation.
“Even though it may look like the fire is out, there are still hot spots that can flare, especially in this type of weather conditions,” Hansen said. “We want to make sure the area is 110 percent safe before we can open it back up to residents.”
Deer Creek Condos and Grand Design Building evacuations were lifted last night, while Spring Creek Ranch/Resort, Amagani and Pine Siskin Road remain in the ‘Ready’ stage of ‘Ready,Set, Go,’ a program that helps residents be: Ready with preparedness understanding and mitigation; Set, with critical preparations when fire threatens; and Go, evacuating immediately upon request.
Under a unified command led by Jackson Hole Fire/EMS Battalion Chief Mike Moyer and Bridger Teton National Forest Dave Wilkins, two hotshot crews were called into Jackson and are working to hold the fire line today, along with crews from Jackson Hole Fire/EMS, Grand Teton National Park and Bridger Teton National Forest. Three helicopters will begin bucket drops at 9am and will continue throughout the day. As helicopters cross from Saddle Butte to the National Elk Refuge, Highway 89 will be temporary closed.
In total, roughly 80 men and women are involved in working the fire.
At approximately 1:30pm on Sunday, September 1, Teton County Dispatch received a report of wildland fire in the sagebrush on the hill just north of Broadway across from the Virginian, burning about 280 acres. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
