Horse Creek Fire grows to 1200 acres
by Bridger-Teton National Forest
June 25, 2007
(Big Piney) – Update Monday, June 25, 4:30 PM: The weather has not been in favor of the firefighters who are working to suppress the Horse Creek fire about 8 miles west of Merna, Wyoming. The fire has grown to roughly 1200 acres this afternoon due to the winds in the area and it has filled the valley with smoke. The fire began creeping east today as the fire was “spotting” or sending spots of fire out in front of the main fire line.
Merrill Saleen’s Type 2 Incident Management Team will arrive on the Bridger-Teton tonight to meet with fire officials before they assume control of the Horse Creek Fire. The primary mission of the Incident Management Team is to provide the Bridger-Teton with skilled and mobile personnel to assist with the management of the Horse Creek fire. When a fire exceeds the resources and skill level of the existing forest level management, fire officials call on national level teams to come in and assume control as the operations expand. A Type 2 Team is qualified to oversee as many as 500 fire personnel and supervise more complex operations, such as coordinating more shifts of firefighters and incorporating more complicated suppression methods. Type 1 Teams are the most highly specialized teams for the largest, most complex fire incidents.
The fire danger rating for the Bridger-Teton is listed as high, which is an increase from the moderate rating from last week. High fire danger means fires are typically more difficult to control. Fire danger ratings are a guide for fire officials to use when selecting the appropriate level of initial response to a reported wildfire. The high fire danger rating has officials on the Bridger-Teton discussing the need to assess conditions for fire restrictions. “We will continue to monitor our fuels and work with our partners, and when we need to implement the fire restrictions, we will,” said Forest Supervisor Kniffy Hamilton. Last year, the Bridger-Teton didn’t implement any fire restrictions until August of 2006.
For more information on the Horse Creek Fire, visit www.inciweb.org
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