Update: Aug. 5: BTNF announced this morning that the fire is now at 100% containment. Tomorrow, Aug. 6, the Soda Lake fire will join Shale Creek in being managed by the local ranger district staff.
The closure area for the Soda Lake fire has been lifted. Individuals should expect to see temporary closures along the South Cottonwood Rd in Big Piney to allow resources to continue their efforts on the Soda Lake Fire safely.
PINEDALE, Wyo. — The Soda Lake wildfire in the Big Piney Ranger District is now 90% contained and the closure area has been rescinded, according to an update from Bridger-Teton National Forest.
Individuals should expect to see temporary closures on South Cottonwood Road for the safety of resources on the ground.
The Soda Lake fire burned 97 acres of land which was a mixture of subalpine forest, sage and meadows just south of Soda Lake in the South Cottonwood Creek drainage. This area is approximately three miles from the forest boundary near the Bureau of Land Management, state and private lands.
The fire was discovered on July 27 at about 3 p.m.
The initial response included a mixture of federal, local, and contract resources. Ground and aircrews worked to fully suppress the fire to protect multiple, at-risk values.
On Saturday, an air tanker from Australia was assigned to the fire. It included light, medium, and heavy helicopters along with multiple air tankers. A New South Wales Rural Fire Service Large Air Tanker on loan from Australia to the National Interagency Fire Center made multiple drops on the fire Friday.
The international assistance that occurred includes a recent deployment of U.S. wildland firefighters to Australia. From December of 2019 through the spring (fall in Australia) of 2020, several hundred federal wildland firefighters and fire managers from the U.S. assisted with wildfires in Australia during a very difficult fire season.
