Wyoming wildfires continue to rage across 200,000 acres; Evansville Fire Department sends help to fight House Draw Fire

CASPER, Wyoming – A total of more than 200,000 acres of land in Wyoming were still ablaze Friday afternoon as several wildfires continued to rage.

The largest wildfire currently burning in the state is the House Draw Fire southeast of Buffalo. As of Friday afternoon, the Bureau of Land Management reported that the fire covered about 165,000 acres. Tall grass and dry conditions helped the fire spread quickly, the BLM reports.

The House Draw fire is believed to have been started by a lightning strike. According to the BLM, the weather forecast for the region is unlikely to help firefighters. Hot and dry weather is forecast through Saturday, with highs of over 80 degrees expected on Friday and Saturday.

Recently, the Evansville Fire Department sent a brush fire engine and three firefighters to assist in battling the wildfire. According to a Facebook post from the fire department, Lt. Stew Anderson, Captain Dan Coursen and Engineer Jeff Park are lending their services to help fight the House Draw Fire.

Although the fire continues to rage, evacuations in the area have been lifted and Interstate 90 and Highway 59 have reopened. Residents are urged to continue to exercise extreme caution.

North of Gillette lies the Constitution Fire, which is reported to be about 15,000 acres at the time of publication. The fire has spread quickly, as it was estimated to be only about 3,000 acres as of August 21.

According to the Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center, the cause of the Constitution Fire is still unknown. The weather forecast for the area affected by the Constitution Fire is also not ideal, as the National Weather Service is predicting dry weather, high temperatures and strong winds for the coming days.

Also raging in northeast Wyoming is the Flat Rock Fire, which spans 30,000 acres and is reportedly 30 percent contained.

Further north lies the Remington Fire, which has spread into Wyoming and Montana. The fire currently covers about 10,000 acres in Wyoming, and no containment is reported yet. Grass and wood are the fire's primary fuels, and evacuation orders have already been issued for a number of communities in northern Wyoming and southeastern Montana.

Other fires in the state have been raging for much longer. In northwest Wyoming, the Clearwater Fire rages, which started near Wapiti on July 19. The fire covers about 1,966 acres and is 75% contained. The fire was originally sparked by another fire in the area.

Due to the region's geographic location, the Clearwater Fire is likely to continue burning and smoldering for some time, even as cooler temperatures and precipitation prevail, according to emergency officials.

South of the Clearwater Fire, in west-central Wyoming, lies the Fish Creek Fire. The Fish Creek Fire currently covers about 10,300 acres and is 0% contained. The fire was sparked by a lightning strike and spread quickly due to the heavy logging and timber in the area. The fire has shut down Togwotee Pass as firefighters work to bring the blaze under control.

On Friday afternoon, Governor Mark Gordon issued a statement regarding the numerous wildfires currently ravaging the state.

“Fighting fires of this magnitude and battling the forces of Mother Nature requires a great deal of dedication from those on the front lines,” Gordon said. “Thank you to everyone fighting these fires – both volunteer and professional firefighters. You are protecting our livelihoods, homes and landscapes. Jennie and I send our prayers to everyone affected.”

Gordon announced that he will deploy the state's available critical fire protection resources, including Wyoming State Forestry helicopters and helitack firefighters, two single-engine firefighting aircraft, the Wyoming Smokebusters and numerous state employees providing operational and administrative support.

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