While much of the state watches the Elk Fire, which has quickly grown to 76,000 acres and has threatened a pair of small communities and Sheridan’s water supply, an especially ornery Pack Trail Fire continues to cause problems in the Bridger-Teton National Forest.
Since it started Sept. 15, the fire has merged with the Fish Creek Fire into a single 66,000-acre wildfire complex burning timber, brush and undergrowth in some rugged, inaccessible terrain.
Both fires, and now the single Pack Trail Fire, have been stubborn, causing multiple closures of Highway 26, campgrounds and parts of the forest while prompting evacuations.
On Tuesday, the fire pushed into the Leeds Creek area, prompting incident management crews to protect structures in the Cowboy Camp area, the team reports in its latest fire update.
That includes the Elk Track Ranch near the Gros Ventre River, which the fire made a run for but was held off.
“Firefighters will implement structure protection at Elk Track Ranch and (the) Gros Ventre area,” the report says. “Last night, firefighters accomplished a small tactical firing operation to improve control lines and reduce dry, flammable fuels near the 540 Road on the east side.”
There are 571 firefighters and support personnel attached the Pack Trail Fire incident management team, who continue to prioritize structure protection for subdivisions along Highway 26.
As for evacuations, Fremont County has the following areas under orders to leave or remain away:
• Brooks Lake Road
• East and West Pinnacle Drive
• Breccia Drive
• Togwotee Pass from mileposts 30-44
• Long Creek subdivision
• Lava Mountain subdivision
• Triangle C Ranch
• Old KOA campground
• Urban subdivision, including Timberline and Rawhide ranches
A community meeting about the Pack Trail Fire will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Museum of Military Vehicles in Dubois.
For the latest information from the incident management team, visit the U.S. Forest Service-Bridger-Teton National Forest Facebook page.
