Wyoming is finally taking our turn, and it’s a turn nobody wanted.
As the month began, a midweek fire burned north of Guernsey, threatening Hartville’s beloved Miners & Stockmens Steakhouse and turning Rep. Harriet Hageman’s family homestead to rubble.
As it turns out, that was just the beginning.
Having just been in that area, we noted with interest a fire deeply remote between Dubois and Togwotee Pass. It’s not so remote anymore, and orders to prepare for evacuation were given on Wednesday.
Also on Wednesday, big fire erupted east and north of Buffalo, closing I-90 completely from Buffalo to Gillette.
Even so, it was alarming at 5:29 p.m., on Wednesday to receive this text as I sat in my little living room, oblivious.
“(Converse County Joint Powers Board E911, WY notification) All commercial and residential properties in the area of Natural Bridge Road and Barber road, please evacuate the area immediately due to large grass fire.”
Within seconds, a phone call came with the same message.
The area burning was near exit 151 on I-25, about in the middle between Glenrock and Douglas.
Coming from the south, we use exit 160, which takes us past the power plant and is about 4 miles- ish from the east edge of town, where both Owen and I live.
It’s at least 12 miles or so from the house, so I knew we were never in any danger. Yet, it’s the first message of that kind I have received in 16 years, and it’s different than reading about it on Facebook.
Then, in the middle of the night, when we non-sleepers do our best doomscrolling, folks in Bar Nunn, Mills, Casper and Glenrock were all complaining about the strong smoke smell.
The Casper Police Department and Converse County Emergency Management both issued statements, saying a wind shift was bringing heavy smoke and ash from the fire near Buffalo.
And while the fire near Natural Bridge was pretty much under control, there were pockets of vegetation still causing trouble.
Our hearts go out to all of the folks who have been evacuated and to their animals, which around here are often their livelihood.
And big shame to the clueless touristas with their mega travel trailers, whining and complaining that they can’t get from Sheridan to South Dakota.
As it turns out in this little burg, where you can’t get breakfast on any Tuesday morning, there’s more flaming than just fire.
Although school has only been in session four days, apparently an administrator said something at a junior high open house last week that had parents and grandparents filling a school board meeting this week.
I wasn’t at the open house or the school board meeting, but folks are burning hot and wanting answers, which they are not going to get because a) it’s a personnel issue and b) the school district, like most, is not exactly in the running for a global transparency prize.
And then there was the election, and even in ho-hum red Wyoming, there were sparks aplenty, especially in legislative races.
Turns out, you can get redder than red. And the moderates look left, and the right looks middle.
But guess what? It’s what the people who voted want, pundits and the media be damned.
Who knew?
Sally Ann Shurmur can be reached at: SallyAnnShurmur@gmail.com
