Firefighting crews on both sides of the Wyoming-Montana border are working furiously to save homes and ranches from a volatile and out-of-control wildfire.
The blaze, called the Short Draw Fire, started Wednesday afternoon north of Recluse in Campbell County, Wyoming, near the border and quickly exploded, driven by hot, dry and windy weather.
It’s burned an estimated 30,500 acres so far, said Campbell Count Fire Marshal Stuart Burnham. That’s less than the 40,000 acres estimated earlier Thursday. As crews continue to fight the fire, better information is available to make a size estimate, he said.
The main focus for local crews so far has been to station themselves at occupied homes that are near or in the path of the fire, Burnham said. That’s also been a priority because the wind shifted and blew the flames back south into Wyoming.
“We were expecting the winds to come out of the south and push it north into Montana, so it’s actually been pushing more to the south and southwest instead,” he said. “We have some structures that are in that area, and we have some folks out there on structure protection.”
Burnham said he hasn’t heard that any family homes have burned, but that doesn’t mean some haven’t. It’s a very fluid and fast-moving situation.
“I know there have been multiple outbuildings that have been damaged, but as far as primary residences, the ones I checked on were OK,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean there aren’t any.”
Not The Only Fire
For now, a cause of the fire hasn’t been determined, Burnham said.
What fire officials know is that it appears to have started near some structures and a road.
Along with the Short Draw Fire, local firefighters continue to battle and monitor numerous other fires around Campbell County.
Those include the Silver Spoon Fire just west of the Short Draw, which burned about 1,700 acres and is still under investigation.
Closer to the county seat of Gillette, the Constitution Fire to the north has burned nearly 25,000 acres and is 95% contained, the Wyoming State Forestry Division reports. To the west of the city, the Flat Rock Fire is 97% contained and has burned more than 52,000 acres.
Helping Themselves
What has become a familiar, and exhausting, refrain for Campbell County landowners and ranchers this summer is being played out in and around the Short Draw Fire, Burnham said.
They’re the true first responders, using whatever’s at their disposal to build fire lines, move livestock and help their neighbors, he said.
“The landowners have really been out there in full force,” he said. “I heard a story today where at the ranch near where this started that the rancher said there were multiple neighbor that came over to help him move his cattle and fences.”
He said those ranchers are invaluable resources for the county firefighting crews.
“They have great knowledge of the land and offer a lot of good information to us, and obviously they’re active in trying to suppress the fire as well,” Burnham said. “We’re just trying to also make sure everyone is safe and account for as many as we can.”
A field holding hay bales burns as the Short Draw Fire rages out of control in northern Wyoming and southern Montana. (Photo Courtesy Jim D. Collins) 
Crews from the Tongue River Electric Cooperative work in the dark to try and save power poles from the Short Draw Fire. (Photo Courtesy Jim D. Collins) 
Yoder Brush truck 31 saved a home on the overnight shift Wednesday on the Short Draw Fire near Recluse, Wyoming. (Caleb Anderson and Abigail Anderson and Witman Jones, Yoder Fire Protecton District) 
The Short Draw Fire in northern Campbell County and southern Montana exploded to about 20,000 acres overnight Sept. 11-12, 2024. (Campbell County Fire Department) 
(Wyoming State Forestry Division) 
The Short Draw Fire in northern Campbell County and southern Montana exploded to about 20,000 acres overnight Sept. 11-12, 2024. (Campbell County Fire Department) 
The Short Draw Fire in northern Campbell County and southern Montana exploded to about 20,000 acres overnight Sept. 11-12, 2024. (Campbell County Fire Department)
If You Haven’t Already, Get Out
As the fire continues to grow and burn without containment, Burnham said the evacuation orders for people in the Border Line Estates area. While fire officials can’t force people to leave, he advises residents to not put themselves in danger.
“Those evacuation orders are definitely still in place,” he said, adding that those who stay to fight the flames should always keep their own safety as the No. 1 priority.
“When you see the big column of smoke and it’s heading your way, get out,” he said. “It’s pretty intimidating, and it can move fast.”
Other Fires
Meanwhile, other notable wildfires continue to burn in other parts of northern Wyoming.
• The Warm Springs Fire burning about 5 miles southeast of Thermopolis has held at about 1,600 acres, but a lot of progress was made Thursday and it’s now about 70% contained, the Wyoming State Forestry Division reports.
• The Fish Creek Fire has burned nearly 25,000 acres in Bridger-Teton National Forest and is 69% complete as of Thursday evening.
Contact Greg Johnson at greg@cowboystatedaily.com
Greg Johnson can be reached at greg@cowboystatedaily.com.
