RIVERTON — A 205-acre fire that started in a trash barrel on the Wind River Indian Reservation and jumped the Wind River toward the town of Riverton Wednesday afternoon destroyed at least one structure, the Fremont County Fire District chief says.
The fire started about 3 p.m. Wednesday on the north end of the reservation abutting the river. In dry conditions, heat and wind, it quickly blew up and jumped the river, prompting federal, county and city fire crews and law enforcement to scramble.
Planes from a federal agency were on hand with retardant from Worland, Ron Wempen, Fremont County Fire District Chief, told Cowboy State Daily on Thursday.
No one was injured as far as he knows, said Wempen. The fire’s progress was halted at about 7 p.m., but its potential and hot spots remained of concern through Friday, he said.
“And (I want to) extend a big thank you to (Fremont) County Fire, Riverton (Volunteer) Fire, Frontier Ambulance, the sheriff’s office, the Bureau of Indian Affairs — both the police department and the forestry fire — but also to the Bureau of Land Management sending in help yesterday from Lander,” said Wempen.
He also thanked “people that get overlooked sometimes,” the crew at High Plains Power, for cutting power to lines in the blaze.
The fire ran close to the main transmission line running into Riverton, he said. The main line wasn’t damaged, but the fire burned poles on a nearby line. People in the area also had power outages.
One home was damaged on the reservation side, where neighborhoods were evacuated before and around 4 p.m.
The home was “gutted” said Wempen, adding that the gutted trailer house was not was not the home of Windy C’Hair, who was on scene Wednesday and voiced concerns that she couldn’t round up her cats when evacuating.
The fire flirted with structures on the north, or Riverton side of the river, but didn’t burn any, he said.
Fremont County Fire brought in five of its various stations, including 14 pieces of equipment ranging from brush trucks to structural engines, he said.
Some personnel were stationed at the fire through the night.
“I want to caution people to still be very careful with (burn barrels),” said Wempen, adding that the county and reservation both have restrictions in place on burning trash to keep it between the hours of 6 p.m. and 8 a.m.
Contact Clair McFarland at clair@cowboystatedaily.com
Fremont County officials scrambled Wednesday afternoon Oct. 16, 2024, when high winds whipped up a small grass fire. It threatened to jump the Wind River into the thicker residential areas of Riverton. (Clair McFarland, Cowboy State Daily) 
Windy C'Hair managed to save her dog Oscar from her home when evacuated, but couldn't round up her cats. (Clair McFarland, Cowboy State Daily) 
Fremont County officials scrambled Wednesday afternoon Oct. 16, 2024, when high winds whipped up a small grass fire. It threatened to jump the Wind River into the thicker residential areas of Riverton. (Clair McFarland, Cowboy State Daily)
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
