After the Fish Creek fire lapped at the barrow ditches along Togwotee Pass and prompted its closure Monday night, the mountain stretch of highway is set to reopen Friday morning at 7, authorities say.
“Motorists will be led through the area, west of Dubois, where the Fish Creek Fire has been most active near the highway,” says a Wyoming Department of Transportation statement that cites WYDOT area maintenance supervisor Mike Hitshew.
The lightning-caused Fish Creek Fire is located southwest of Togwotee Pass and has grown to nearly 19,000 acres. Fire personnel said Thursday the fire is 59% complete, meaning crews have completed 59% of the necessary firefighting actions for this blaze.
There are 449 personnel working on the fire, including eight hand crews, 14 engines, one dozer, 18 pieces of heavy equipment, and five helicopters, says WYDOT’s statement.
The agency’s Dubois maintenance crew is scheduled to pilot traffic through the area between mileposts 26 and 29.8 on Highway 26/287 Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., near the Fremont and Teton county line, the statement adds.
WYDOT will scan for traffic hazards from the fire throughout the day.
"If it's clear Friday evening and Saturday evening, the road will stay open for the weekend," Hitshew said.
Trying To Cross
Now blazing for about three weeks, the Fish Creek Fire started throwing spot fires across Togwotee Pass on Tuesday, Chris Joyner, incident spokesman, told Cowboy State Daily on Thursday.
Spot fires usually stem from hot and flaming debris from an active fire. Spruce-fueled blazes commonly send spot fires great distances, Joyner said.
“(The) longest distance we had from a spot fire was ¾ mile from the active fire,” Joyner said, adding that fire crews have “quickly extinguished” about 70 small spot fires.
Contained
In northeast Wyoming, five more large fires are largely contained, according to a statement dispatched Thursday by Southwest Area Incident Management Team 5, which is managing those fires.
The Flat Rock Fire west of Gillette measures at 52,421 acres and is 97% contained. To its northeast, the 24,630-acre Constitution Fire is 95% contained.
The House Draw Fire, which spans nearly 175,000 acres of mostly private property in Johnson County, is 94% contained.
The Remington Fire stretching north from Sheridan County and into a few Montana counties measures at 196,368 acres and is 88% contained, says the statement.
Those fires all sparked around Aug. 20 and 21.
The Silver Spoon Fire, which started over this past weekend, measures at 1,721 acres in northern Campbell County and is 63% contained.
The Campbell County Fire Department and the Southwest team alike haven’t yet reported what started the Silver Spoon, with both entities saying that’s under investigation.
The northeast fires are using nine crews, including 611 personnel, 31 engines, five water tenders and heavy equipment, says the statement.
A fire truck drives on a closed Highway 26/287 over Togwotee Pass with smoke from the Fish Creek Fire. (Wyoming Department of Transportation District 5) 
Brook Lake Lodge posted this photo to its Facebook page Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, with the caption: "The held the line! She stands strong." (Cowboy State Daily Staff) 
Wyoming wildfires as of Sept. 5, 2024. (Wyoming State Forestry Division)
Meanwhile, Help From Cheyenne
Gov. Mark Gordon has submitted a disaster declaration request to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), according to a Thursday statement from the governor’s office.
In his letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Gordon pointed out a disproportionate amount of the burn damage has happened on private lands, with much of that land used for some type of agricultural production. Losses from the House Draw fire in Johnson County, which has burned almost 175,000 acres, are are estimated at $25 million. Producers are still determining loss estimates in other counties impacted by this season’s fires.
“This fire has destroyed at least 590 miles of fence, numerous stock tanks, livestock forage and, sadly, livestock,” wrote Gordon. “Similar statistics will emerge during the loss determination process for the other large wildfires in eastern and northern Wyoming.”
Gordon also requested maximum program flexibility due to the unique nature of Wyoming’s agriculture. Hot temperatures, high winds and continued drought conditions have stretched resources and made for a particularly difficult year for fighting fire, he reportedly told Vilsack.
“The task of building back will be exceptionally challenging, and time is of the essence as the infrastructure necessary to manage livestock as well as provide water for wildlife has been decimated,” the governor added.
In addition, the University of Wyoming Extension, in partnership with state agencies, has compiled a website of fire information and recovery resources that can be used by those impacted by wildfires. The site addresses preparedness, provides information for those facing active wildfires, along with recovery and rebuilding resources, including lists of financial resources from federal agencies as well as programs specifically for agricultural producers.
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
