JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — Recent thunderstorms brought lightning which created a few new fire starts in the area. Nothing too problematic at this point.
All four new fires were lightning-caused and all are at a tenth of an acre. One is considered “controlled” at this point.
The Cottonwood 2 Fire is burning in Grand Teton National Park. A single tree was struck and caught fire at Cottonwood Creek south of the Lupine Meadows trailhead area. The 0.1-acre fire is being extinguished due to its proximity to the public and busy roads and trails in the park.
The Fork Fire is also located in Grand Teton NP. Lightning struck a clump of trees out front of the Buffalo Fork Ranger Station in Grand Teton on Friday morning, August 6. The blast was enough to ignite the deep duff under the trees and throw limbs down on the ground. A quick response from contractors working nearby snuffed the flames until interagency federal and Jackson Hole Fire/EMS responders where able to get on scene and fully extinguish the fire.
The Turpin Fire was discovered Thursday, August 5. It is located near the Ditch Creek area of the Jackson Ranger District. Less than .10 acre in size and in heavy timber, the small fire is smoldering and creeping and has a low spread potential. Due to the national fire activity level, limited resources and dry fuel condition’s, all wildland fires are under a full suppression strategy. The fire is currently staffed with two helicopter crew members and the local interagency helicopter is available to support with water drops as needed.
The Sheep Fire was discovered August 6. Similar to the Turpin Fire, this fire is small, located in heavy timber, smoldering and creeping with low spread potential due to the moisture received during the storms. The fire will be staffed with local agency firefighters and will be under complete suppression fire response.
Firefighters will return to the area Saturday via helicopter once the cloud cover lifts. Several carcasses believed to be from bear activity in the area have been detected and the area was deemed unsafe for the two firefighters upon initial attack. Delivering the firefighters to the fire by helicopter will allow for reconnaissance of the area and the noise from the rotor wash will scare off any possible predators in the area.
Meanwhile, the Little Granite Fire is now considered “contained” at 20 acres.
Located at the headwaters of Little Granite Creek, this spotty fire fits within a 20-acre footprint. Primary fire growth is from embers flying from torching conifers and landing in adjacent timber islands. The furthest spot fire has been recorded one half mile from the main body of the fire.
Resources remain on scene after three days and are working diligently to suppress the fire. Crews flew off the fire Friday night. A “short crew” of firefighters will return Saturday to continue with mop-up operations within the interior of the fire and check for any new spotting outside of the main perimeter.
