Editor’s Note: The original story has been updated to reflect the fire’s cause.
JACKSON, Wyo. — A wildland fire broke out south of town on Monday afternoon around 1:50 p.m.
Emergency page-outs reported flames across from the Wyoming Department of Transportation, on the west side of US89 near the intersection with Evans Road.
Flames reached approximately 30 feet in width, traveling slowly from east to west. The fire spread in a field below a utility pole after a bird flew into the rigging and its burning body fell onto the grass below.
At 1:56 p.m., the fire was reported out. “Just smoldering,” an emergency page-out said.
The fire was reported by community members who spotted the flames. Teton County Sheriff’s Department officers who were already in the area arrived to the scene quickly and put out the flames with extinguishers before the fire department arrived.
Once onsite, Jackson Hole Fire fighters applied water to the smoldering area to make sure it was dead out. Lower Valley Energy representatives checked out the wiring and reported no damage and no outages.
Fires started by birds flying into power lines are not uncommon. Squirrels also occasionally cause similar situations.
