Pack Trail Fire update – Oct. 18, 2024
by Teton Interagency Fire
October 18, 2024
Total Acres: 89,186
Confined: 62%
Total Personnel: 535
Operations – Yesterday (Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024), the Pack Trail Fire received precipitation which greatly moderated fire behavior. The fire activity is minimal, however large diameter dead and down logs, stumps, and slash will continue to smolder within the interior of the fire. On the south side, crews accessed Union Pass Road utilizing Utility Task Vehicles (UTV) to scout and contain the fire’s edge. On the west flank, firefighters removed pumps and gas from the field to prevent freezing. These items are being staged nearby and can be reimplemented quickly if the fire situation changes. Due to the precipitation and hazards associated with driving on icy and muddy roads, most crews will stay at camp today to complete preventative maintenance on their equipment. Crews with UTVs will patrol the fire area, mopping up around the perimeter, focusing on areas with fine fuels, such as meadows and sagebrush.
Safety – Despite the recent precipitation, Teton Interagency Fire Managers are maintaining the Very High Fire Danger Rating for Grand Teton National Park, the Bridger-Teton National Forest, the Shoshone National Forest, and the National Elk Refuge. This precipitation was not a fire season ending event. Due to wind, fuels will begin to rapidly dry out when the snow melts. Any spark can ignite fire which can grow rapidly into a major incident. Residents and visitors are urged to exercise extreme caution with fires or other possible ignition sources. Never leave your campfire unattended, even for a moment. Always ensure someone is watching it or extinguish it completely before leaving. Drown the fire with water, stir the ashes, and feel with the back of your hand to confirm it is cool.
Please use caution while driving these areas, especially on narrow secondary roads. Always expect to encounter fire vehicles and heavy equipment in and around the fire area. Check with WY-DOT for possible closures due to fire activity, especially if you are planning to travel on US-26 across the Continental Divide. Closures are not expected, but with active fire in the area checking status before travel is recommended.
"If you fly, we can’t." Remember that flying a personal drone over a fire area during a temporary flight restriction is illegal and can be an extremely dangerous threat to both our aviators and firefighters on the ground.
Weather – A rain and snow mix fell at lower elevations overnight into this morning, while locations about 8,500 feet experienced 1-3 inches of snow. Today will be mostly cloudy with snow continuing until 1PM. The temperature will be 26-39 degrees with relative humidity’s between 53% and 67%. Winds from the northeast will remain gusty at 25 MPH. Warmer and drier weather will return over the weekend and continue into next week. To learn more about air quality, visit Fire.AirNow.Gov.
Evacuations – Brooks Lake Lodge, Pinnacle Cabins, Falls Camp, and Long Creek have been reduced to a Level 2 "Set" Evacuation Warning. Level 3 "Go" evacuation orders remain in effect for Lava Mountain Lodge and McKenzie Highland Ranch. The Dunoir Road Corridor has been reduced to a Level 1 "Ready" Evacuation Warning. See the Fremont County Emergency Management Facebook Page for alerts and updates. See the Teton County Emergency Management website updates and to sign up for emergency alerts through Everbridge.
Road Closures – The Union Pass Road is closed on the Pinedale Ranger District (BTNF) from Mosquito Lake to the Moon Lake Road on the Wind River District (SHO). Moon Lake Road is also closed.
Forest Closures - Closure Order #04-03-24-317 is in effect from October 14, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. through November 15, 2024 at 12:00 a.m. unless rescinded. This order supersedes previous orders, including #04-03-24-316, prohibiting the same or similar acts in the same described area.
For more information, visit: Facebook: USDA Forest Service - Bridger-Teton National Forest, USDA Forest Service - Shoshone National Forest Pack Trail Inciweb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/wybtf-pack-trail-fire
Fire Information: Phone: 307-395-2351 | Email: 2024.Packtrail @firenet.gov
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