Just as wildland firefighting crews have turned a corner on getting control of the stubborn Short Draw Fire that started about 30 miles north of Gillette and burned into Montana, Mother Nature has thrown them another wrinkle.
Coal seams.
The fire has burned about 35,000 acres in the northern Powder River Basin, and also has ignited a coal seam beneath the ground, according to the latest Montana Division of Natural Resources Conservation (DNRC) incident report.
“Yesterday, a coal seam flare-up caused an increase in the total fire size by 125 acres outside the containment line in the southeast region (of the fire),” according to the report.
Coal seams are deposits of the mineral underneath the surface that have access to air from above to keep the coal burning if it’s ignited. They are notorious for being difficult to extinguish, sometimes smoldering for years and sparking new wildfires.
There are plenty of coal seams under the Powder River Basin, and it’s not a surprise the Short Draw Fire has encountered some, said Stuart Burnham, Campbell County fire marshal.
“In Campbell County and the Powder River Basin, there’s coal everywhere,” he told Cowboy State Daily. “So, when wildfires start and burn over an area, they may start a coal seam on fire. Then that fire can pop up at different places and at different times of the year.”
The DNRC reports that hand crews contained the coal seams and “are actively monitoring for any potential flare-ups.”
Attacking coal seam fires is hard, difficult work that doesn’t always take care of the fire for good, Burnham said.
“They are as best as they can digging it up or burying it,” he said, adding that it’s important to map the location of coal seam fires.
And there have been plenty in Campbell County, including some that have been smoldering for years.
“They’re all throughout Campbell County and they can be very problematic,” Burnham said.
As to what caused the Short Draw Fire, which was discovered last Wednesday, that’s still under investigation, he said.
Meanwhile …
In the meantime, overall efforts to fight the Short Draw Fire are showing progress, the DNRC reports.
The fire’s size has remained stable at a little over 35,000 acres for several days and fire lines continue to be built around it. Containment as of Tuesday morning was at 65%, the Wyoming State Forestry Division reports.
“Crews are actively working to establish control lines along the fire perimeter and will continue to patrol and work inward from these lines to extinguish hot spots,” the DNRC reports. “Structure protection efforts continue to safeguard residents and critical areas.”
Just what damage and destruction people living in the burn area suffered is still being calculated, Burnham said. That’s done by physically visiting every spot on the county assessor’s property list and checking to see what’s still there.
There are 233 firefighters on the Short Draw Fire, including 20 engines, two helicopters, six hand crews and three pieces of heavy equipment.
Other Fires
While much of Wyoming’s wildfire season has been most active in the northern part of the state, several southern fires are putting people on evacuation notices.
The most recent is for folks living in southern Albany County near the Colorado border. They’ve been put on a pre-evacuation notice “due to the proximity of the Pearl Fire to the Wyoming border,” according to an Albany County Sheriff’s Office announcement.
The Pearl Fire is burning in northern Colorado and may move north into Wyoming. Although it’s only at 130 acres in size, evacuations around the Crystal Lakes area of Colorado have been ordered, along with the closure of several public trail systems and the North Fork Poudre Campground.
People on the Wyoming side of the border are urged to “make preparations to evacuate the area in the event an evacuation order is issued,” the ACSO statement says. “You do not need to leave at this time, but should begin preparing to leave with your household members, essential belongings, pets and livestock.”
Also in Albany County burning in rugged terrain north of Laramie is the Bear Creek Fire, which is at 1,444 acres and 60% contained, the WSFD reports.
And north of the Bear Creek Fire burning in the extreme southern part of Converse County is the La Bonte Fire, which was started Thursday and has grown to nearly 3,500 acres.
It’s at 12% containment, according to Wyoming Team 6, which is a Type 3 incident team in charge of fighting the fire.
It’s burning in steep, rugged terrain about 6 miles west of Esterbrook and 20 miles south of Douglas on private and federal lands.
Ground crews “continue to hold and improve the progress made on the fire so far,” Team 6 reports, adding that air support also is helping.
Overall, about 200 people are fighting the fire, including eight smokejumpers, 10 engines, four helicopters and a pair of bulldozers.
And in northwest Wyoming, the stubborn Fish Creek Fire has burned 25,000 acres and remains at 69% complete. There are 374 firefighters on the fire that continues to smolder in heavy timber and dead timber and undergrowth.
Highway 26 through the area and over Togwotee Pass remains open, but has been closed several times as the fire has come close to the road. Also, both the Bridger-Teton and Shoshone national forests remain closed in and around the fire area.
Greg Johnson can be reached at greg@cowboystatedaily.com.
