JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — Authorities say heavy smoke in the valley is not from any nearby wildfire. A change in weather patterns has brought the season’s densest smoke and haze from wildfires in California and Oregon.
A fast-moving cold front pushing through Wyoming today brought several severe thunderstorms and pushed out the ridge of high pressure that was shielding much of western Wyoming from experiencing the worst of the smoke from fires in the far west.
Some have speculated that the fire in Darby Canyon might be the cause of the smoke that settled in the valley quickly this afternoon. Not so. The Darby Fire is quite small—limited to about five trees in total. The widespread smoke low to the ground is being experienced in Teton, Sublette, Sweetwater, Lincoln, Fremont, and other counties throughout Wyoming.
A special bulleting from Teton Interagency Fire was issued earlier today. It states: “Smoke from western fires filled western Wyoming valleys this afternoon. There are no significant fires in the Teton Interagency Fire area at this time.”
