Four northeast Wyoming wildfires have burned over 500,000 acres and spread into Montana as emergency responders fight to contain the fires.
“Crews successfully hold perimeter on Flat Rock, Constitution, Remington, and House Draw fires in northeast Wyoming and southeast Montana,” the Southwest Area Incident Management Team (SAIMT) said in an Aug. 26 update.
The cause of the fires is unknown except for the House Draw fire, which was sparked by lightning, the spokesperson said.
The fires are named after a feature or area where they started. House Draw fire was named after ravine-like terrain.
SAIMT reported that the House Draw fire in Johnson County, which has now burned 174,702 acres, is the largest fire but “mostly in control” at 88 percent containment.
“Yesterday, firefighters responded to and successfully extinguished a burning powerline outside the perimeter of the House Draw fire,” SAIMT said. “Today, crews will patrol and mop up remaining heat sources, securing lines where needed.”
The Flat Rock fire in Campbell County has consumed up to 52,599 acres and is at 35 percent containment.
“The Flat Rock fire exhibited moderate fire behavior yesterday, as interior unburned pockets of fuel were consumed, primarily within the north flank of the fire where ground and air resources worked in tandem within the pinyon-juniper forests,” SAIMT reported. “Today, crews will patrol, monitor and secure fireline, utilizing direct tactics on the north end where active fire is being observed.”
Heavy equipment crews are working to contain the Constitution fire—also in Campbell County—which has burned 24,594 acres.
“Fire activity on the northern end continues to produce smoke as interior pockets of unburned fuel are consumed,” SAIMT said.
The Remington fire, which is in Sheridan County along the Tongue River and moving into southeast Montana, has burned up to 196,387 acres.
The SAIMT has divided the Remington fire into four sections for easier patrol and containment, and progress has been made in reducing the fire.
“Today there is a higher percentage of moisture predicted for all of these,” SAIMT said, with cooler temperatures and an “increased potential for showers and wetting rains.”
There are 24 crews of 840 personnel deployed with three helicopters, 78 fire trucks, nine bulldozers, and seven water tenders, an operation that began on Aug. 21.
The fires have led to the destruction of farmland and livestock and evacuations in Sheridan County.
Perimeter of the Remington fire in Wyo., Aug. 26, 2024. Courtesy of the Southwest Incident Management Team
‘Confronting Mother Nature’s Forces’
On Friday, Gov. Mark Gordon issued a press release addressing the wildfires in the Cowboy state.“Confronting fires of this size and battling against Mother Nature’s forces takes significant dedication from those on the frontlines,” he said. “Thank you to all who are fighting these fires—both volunteer and full-time firefighters —you are protecting our livelihoods, homes, and landscapes.”
State officials are cooperating with the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management which are providing aviation resources, he said.
“On the ground, Wyoming is coordinating with all local fire districts and emergency personnel, state, federal, and county engines, county and private dozers and blades, all working these fires on the frontline protecting their communities,” he said. “Wyoming has also activated our state-to-state forest fire compact agreements to access local and state resources from other western states and is coordinating with the Rocky Mountain Area Coordinating Group to access additional federal resources from across the nation.”
Because of federal regulations, local resources “must be exhausted” before he can request the National Guard’s firefighting resources, Gordon said.
He attributed the wildfires to a large amount of rainfall from last year that facilitated the cultivation of an “abundance of available fuel for fires.”
“This fuel on the ground combined with Wyoming’s winds make for large, fast-moving fires that are particularly challenging to firefighting efforts,” he said. “The state is experiencing storm systems that bring with them lightning and sometimes little or no moisture. Another factor is the high number of fires throughout the west which are stressing firefighting resources throughout the country.”
The number of wildfires is average, he said, but not the amount of acres burned, the majority of which has happened on private land instead of federal land, which makes these wildfires unique to previous years.
Perimeter of Remington fire in Wyo. in August 2024. Courtesy of Southwest Incident Management Team
“Last year was a well below average fire season, due to the above average amount of moisture,” Gordon said, adding that in 2024, Wyoming has seen 522 wildfires.
Once the fires are contained, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will assist in helping private landowners cover the damages while “additional recovery resources are being identified.”
