The Pack Trail Fire on Togwotee Pass and the Elk Fire west of Sheridan are forcing evacuations and contributing to unhealthy and occasionally hazardous air quality. Both are fueled in part by “extreme” drought.
The Jackson Hole Valley is experiencing its longest dry spell in the past 15 years, with the entire county in at least some level of drought.
David Lee, a water resources specialist at the Teton Conservation District, said it’s the first time any portion of the county has been placed into an “extreme” drought category this year — right behind “exceptional” drought, which is as bad as it gets.
“It's been dry across the entire county for several months now,” Lee said.
That “extreme” drought has been measured on the eastern edge of Teton County into Fremont County, where the Pack Trail Fire has burned over 85,000 acres. The fire is about the size of Yellowstone Lake and is about 60 percent confined.
“Extreme” drought was also measured in parts of Sheridan, Weston, Crook and Niobrara counties. All of Campbell County is in “extreme” drought. This area has been heavily impacted by wildfires this summer with the Short Draw, Livingston Draw and House Draw fires. The Elk Fire is still burning in the Bighorn National Forest. That fire has burned over 92,000 acres and is 28 percent contained.
Lee said that although lower stream flows are typical for the season, Teton County usually sees more precipitation.
“By this time of year, a lot of folks expect a pattern shift to abate some of that fire activity and we just haven't seen it yet,” Lee said.
This is also true for the northeast region of the state. Andrew Cassiday, Sheridan conservationist with the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, said drought is a regular part of the area's climatic cycles. This year, good moisture in the spring actually created a tremendous amount of grass.
“[And then] abnormally warm temperatures late in the year when plants are beginning to be dormant, either from drought conditions, or just the natural seasonal cycle, [create] very dry forage conditions that go well to very hot, flashy fuel conditions,” said Cassiday.
Both Lee and Cassiday said usually by this time of the year, Wyoming starts to see fall moisture and winter snow. Without that moisture, these fires have been able to continue to fuel on the dry grasses and trees.
“Fall is usually a time where we get a pattern change and start to get some nice, cool temps, which we've gotten,” Lee said, “but some precip [precipitation] as well, which we haven't.”
Rain and snow are forecast toward the end of the week, which can help alleviate drought conditions and reduce fire activity.
“The community of Story is not out of reach for the runs we've seen this fire take. And so it's good to see some moisture in the forecast,” said Cassiday.
Both fires have forced evacuations and are contributing to unhealthy and occasionally hazardous air quality.
The USDA this week designated nine Wyoming counties as primary natural disaster areas due to wildfires. Primary counties are: Albany, Converse, Crook, Goshen, Hot Springs, Johnson, Platte, Sheridan and Weston. Another nine counties have been designated contiguous disaster counties: Big Horn, Campbell, Carbon, Fremont, Laramie, Natrona, Niobrara, Park and Washakie.
The designation allows farmers to access emergency loan assistance from the Farm Service Agency (FSA). Local FSA offices can provide producers with more information. Loan applications must be made within eight months of the disaster declaration.
