A new fire in Cody, Wyo. called the June Fire was reported on Tuesday in the June Creek drainage area approximately 1.5 miles south of U.S. Highway 14/16/20, also known as the North Fork Highway.
The Elk Fork Trail is closed as a safety precaution. Visitors on the North Fork Highway are reminded by fire managers, “to be vigilant of increasing numbers of firefighting personnel and equipment.”
Fire information bulletins will be located at key locations in the North Fork corridor.
More information from fire managers today, according to the Incident Information System:
“Additional hotshot crews and air resources are arriving today. Ground crews have begun structure protection work at the UXU Ranch and have begun assessing the Blackwater Lodge. Due to the increased complexity of the fire, an Incident Management Team will assume management of the fire later today.”
The cause of the approximately 2,000 acre fire is under investigation and it continues to spread, with potential to spread even further. Estimations of fire size are based on observations from fire personnel in the air and on the ground. An infrared flight could not be performed over the fire last night.
Yesterday, firefighting resources employed two heavy (Type 1) helicopters, one light helicopter, two single engine air tankers, two fire engines, and approximately 100 personnel.
An unauthorized drone flying over the June Fire yesterday shut down aircraft during critical operations. The public is reminded that flying drones over a wildfire is dangerous to firefighters and illegal.
Today, full suppression tactics are being implemented.
“A 20-person hotshot crew and a light (Type 3) helicopter arrived this morning,” according to fire managers reporting to the Incident Information System. “Additional resources on scene include a Shoshone National Forest fire crew and engine.”
Full InciWeb Report on the June Fire.
U.S. Forest Service officials for Shoshone National Forest are updating the official Twitter with photos of smoke in the area.
There is a new fire on the #ShoshoneNF. #JuneFire is located west of Cody and is 1.5 miles south of US Hwy 14/16/20. Follow on @inciweb pic.twitter.com/ZKFrIjPfqc
— Shoshone National Forest (@ShoshoneNF) July 19, 2017
The Keystone Fire started on July 3, 1.5 miles southwest of the Rob Roy Reservoir west of Albany, Wyoming, in the Medicine Bow National Forest, burning in dense, beetle-infested timber.
Evacuations remain in effect for the communities of Rambler, Moores Gulch, Keystone, lower Keystone, Lake Creek, and scattered residences within the US Forest Service (USFS) closure area.
As of July 20th, the fire is 75% contained and burning over an area of 2,520 acres. Crews and heavy equipment operators will continue to concentrate on roads 500, 507, 511, 513, and 517.
These roads will be utilized as contingency lines should the fire move past the present perimeter lines. This is not hazardous tree removal as that was completed by the Forest previously. Rather, all trees are being removed from only one side of the road; the side closest to the fire. This creates a wider space that can be used as a control line if needed.
Road blocks are in place on the roads in the fire closure area. The public is urged to stay off all roads in the closure area so the contingency lines may be completed as quickly as possible.
The fire managers and Albany County Sheriff’s Department will continue to evaluate if evacuation orders can safely be lifted.