Wildfire Info and Resources
Ongoing and active 2024 fire info
For detailed information on the Fish Creek Fire in the Grand Teton National Forest, check Inciweb and Fremont County - Wyoming - Emergency Management Agency on Facebook.
For detailed information on the five fires in the northeast region, check Inciweb and the Facebook page for Southwest Area Incident Management Team #5. This is the team that’s been overseeing fire management.
Local info
Information about quickly-changing fires often comes from Facebook pages for county services for EMS and fire. These pages usually offer on-the-ground updates throughout the day.
Another useful resource is a new app called Watch Duty. It’s free, though you can pay for special features, and pulls together information from dispatch centers, first responders, and other official and media reports as part of an interactive map. It can also share notifications for fires within counties you choose. Watch Duty is a non-profit staffed by volunteers, including retired wildland firefighters, dispatchers, first responders and reporters.
How will I know if I need to evacuate?
Evacuation notices will come from the county Sheriff’s Office. Some counties, like Teton County, use a three-level system: Ready (Level 1 - make a plan), Set (Level 2 - prepare to leave), and Go (Level 3 - evacuate now). Others, like Albany County, issue two levels: a pre-evacuation notice to get ready, and a mandatory evacuation order to leave now.
Check with your county’s Emergency Management department to sign up for phone, text or email alerts about emergency messages and advisories in your area.
Having a plan before an emergency develops is key. CalFire recommends making a Wildfire Action Plan to think through escape routes, how to keep pets and livestock safe, and what to bring. A basic packing list should include the 6 Ps:
- People and Pets
- Papers, phone numbers and Important Documents
- Prescriptions, Vitamins, and Eyeglasses
- Pictures and Irreplaceable Memorabilia
- Personal Computers (information on hard drive & disks)
- Plastic (credit cards, ATM cards, & cash)
State Map and Resources
The State Forestry Division’s fire management website also shares links to regional situation reports, where burning restrictions are in place, contact information to report a wildfire and other resources.
The University of Wyoming Extension has also compiled a website of resources about preparing for wildfires, tracking active fires and recovery.
Regional Map
The Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center posts blurbs about new and emerging wildfires on an interactive map covering Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas and Colorado. It includes very basic early reports of new fires.
Nationwide Interactive Map
Large wildfires are managed by teams that include local, state and federal crews. The biggest fires show up on Inciweb, a nationwide interactive map. It offers regular updates and maps of impacted areas.
Where is the smoke coming from?
With fires come smoke. Fire and Smoke Map shows where smoke might be blowing into the state from.
Air Now and Air Quality Aware show near real-time readings from monitors across the state that track smoke (also called PM2.5) and ozone levels, and make basic recommendations about who should and how to protect your lungs.
Protecting your property
Homeowners can do a lot to protect their homes and property from fire. CalFire has a list of home hardening tips, ranging from cleaning out gutters to suggestions for building materials, that can increase your home’s chances of surviving a wildfire.
The Wyoming Forestry Division offers a risk assessment tool to help homeowners, especially in areas where the forest meets neighborhoods (also referred to as the WUI or Wildland Urban Interface), understand the risk and threat of wildfires in their area. Property owners can also request a site visit from a state forester or a county fuels mitigation coordinator to assess wildfire threats on their land and learn what to do to lower risk.
Many communities in Wyoming are thinking about how to prepare their entire neighborhood, town or county for fire. The Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network posts community wildfire protection plans, tools for reducing wildfire risk across landscapes, and resources about recovering from wildfires.
-
The new Pearl Fire burning in Larimer County, Colorado spurred a “get ready to leave” notice for Albany County residents from the state border through Tie Siding on land west of Highway 287. The Pearl Fire is estimated at 200 acres with no containment. -
How a Wind River Reservation crew’s behind-the-scenes work keeps firefighters going on Togwotee PassThe Fish Creek Fire has been burning for nearly a month up on Togwotee Pass. It’s currently around 25,000 acres, moving through dry forest in mountainous terrain. A camp crew from the Wind River Reservation has been tackling the behind-the-scenes work needed to keep the operation running. -
Wildfires have burned homes and killed cattle this summer. Just this week, several new starts sparked evacuation orders in Campbell and Albany counties, and crews still have their hands full with the Fish Creek Fire on Togwotee Pass. Wyoming Public Radio’s Nicky Ouellet recently caught up with Jerod DeLay. He’s the state’s fire management officer. They talked about how this year stacks up and what we can expect for the rest of the season. -
An evacuation order is still in effect for the residents of Borderline Estates and Ranchets. The Short Draw Fire is expected to continue to grow due to forecasted winds. -
The Bear Creek Fire is now approximately 2,500 acres with unknown containment. Multiple agencies are helping on the scene, including Albany and Platte county fire departments and the Bureau of Land Management. -
Residents who had to evacuate from the Fish Creek Fire can return to their homes, though they should remain alert to changing conditions. Half a dozen new fires have sparked in the north-central area but most have been contained. -
A new report shows climate change is causing more extreme fires, putting more homes at risk. The findings come as the Davis Fire south of Reno, which sparked on Sept. 7, 2024, has burned more than 5,000 acres and destroyed at least 14 buildings. -
Highway 26/287 over Togwotee Pass temporarily re-opened on Friday morning. The road’s been closed for most of the week as crews have worked to keep the Fish Creek Fire from jumping the highway. Expect slow speeds and limited visibility. -
Among them are incentives for risk reduction in the built environment and more sensible land use planning, as well as support for prescribed fire and workforce training. -
So far this year, more than 600 fires have burned some 629,000 acres in the state. The governor says private lands used for agricultural production have been disproportionately affected.
