Audrey Crockett watched from her family’s porch as planes dropped fire retardant slurry around the Red Canyon Fire that her family, the Axtells, had been fighting since Thursday.
The young teacher and her husband had returned home to fight back the flames alongside her parents, brothers, in-laws and neighbors.
The flames have since moved on to devastate other Hot Springs County ranches, destroying rangeland the ranchers depend on for their herds.
Theirs is a story shared by many families and generational ranches in the path of the 107,000-acre wildfire burning about 11 miles east of Thermopolis.
And like those other ranchers, Crockett understands the urge to protect what their families have worked decades to build. The federal team overseeing the firefighting efforts is urging locals to not stay and work to keep the flames from their properties — but that doesn’t stop most.
“You got 50 mph winds, 100-degree temperature and no humidity. It's awfully hard to stop a fire,” rancher Matt Brown told Cowboy State Daily. “All the ranchers are up there battling as much as they can, but when that fire turns heads toward you, there isn't a whole hell of a lot you can do about it.”
After a lifetime of ranching in Hot Springs County, Brown has seen this type of fire only three to four times before.
This time, as he watches his rangeland burn away, it is especially frustrating. He recently had shoulder surgery and, by doctor’s orders, cannot help his family as they fight the fire and defend their historic ranch.
Outfitter Tony Kiser had arrived to help the Lyman Ranch where he holds a lease and said that seeing the fire was devastating.
“It looked like hell,” he said. “There was more fire than I'd seen in quite a while.”
Ranchers and others have been defending the land against the Red Canyon Fire since it flared up Wednesday night. They have been grateful for the air support and the firefighters who have descended on Hot Springs County to help fight the fire that has gobbled up over 100,000 acres since the lightning strike on Wednesday. (Courtesy Tony Kiser) 
Civilian tankers and heavy equipment have been deployed to help fight the Red Canyon Fire that is raging unconfined across rural Hot Springs County. More than 100,000 acres of rangeland has been destroyed since the fire started last Wednesday. Ranchers are concerned for their cattle who have lost their winter, spring and fall feed. (Courtesy Cheryl Howmiller) 
The Red Canyon Fire has crossed fire breaks, roads, creeks and fence lines as hot winds blew it across the rangelands of rural Hot Springs County. (Courtesy Cheryl Howmiller) 
Even as the flames die down and move to other areas, the devastation left behind will take years to recover from. Local ranchers are concerned for their cattle who have lost their winter, fall and spring rangelands. (Courtesy Cheryl Howmiller) 
Even as the flames die down and move to other areas, the devastation left behind will take years to recover from. Local ranchers are concerned for their cattle who have lost their winter, fall and spring rangelands. (Courtesy Cheryl Howmiller) 
When the Red Canyon Fire blazed out of control, the Axtell family of Thermopolis and a team of neighbors and friends fought back the flames. They dug a fire line three miles from the family’s home and stopped the flames from spreading into the deep ravines and crevices of the Red Hills. By stopping the flames there, it prevented the fire from reaching the Warm Springs and getting close to the Town of Thermopolis. (Courtesy Audrey Axtell-Crockett) 
The rangeland that ranchers in rural Hot Springs County were depending on for their cattle has been devastated and is now a wasteland. It may take up to three to four years to get the grasses back according to outfitter Tony Kiser who has been out helping to fight back the flames. (Courtesy Audrey Axtell-Crockett)
The Strike
Audrey’s dad Chip Axtell actually saw the lightning strike last Wednesday about noon that started the fire, which then exploded.
The family had all gathered for a float down the Big Horn River as a college send-off for their son, Lance. Unconcerned at first, they headed to the river and enjoyed their time on the water.
“We got home that night and saw a little plume of smoke,” Axtell said. “It was in Major Basin and the fire crew had responded to it, so we weren't too concerned.”
By Thursday morning, there were flames everywhere.
“All of the Major Basin was already gone by then, and the wind was pushing it over to our side,” Axtell said. “So, we spent that day with our tractors cutting fire lines and being ready for it to get to us.”
The Blaze
As the severity of the situation became clear Thursday, a crew of neighbors and friends descended on the Axtell property to help.
A fire break was cut 3 miles from the ranch home.
“We stopped it from getting behind our house into the Red Hills, which would have sent the fire toward town if it had gotten there, because there's just nowhere to fight it back there,” Axtell said. “We were successful in stopping it at a road up behind our house.”
That night, the fire blew across Buffalo Creek Road, which Axtell describes as the big gravel county road. From there, the fire started up into the mountain country, and the family and their team of volunteers spent the next two days cutting fire lines and trying to keep the fire at bay.
Out of desperation, the family did a back burn around their dozer line from the first day.
“When that fire hit the black, it stopped the fire because it's running into already burned ground,” Axtell said. “We did feel like we had to do some of that, but when the big crew showed up, we stopped and let them do whatever.”
Axtell is grateful for all the support he received and said that nature was just against them.
“The winds were just awful,” Axtell said. “The fire crews were kind of sitting at the houses protecting them, and by the third day, we got some support from the planes and now we pretty much have it put out on our side.”
As the younger Axtell teenagers go off to their first day of school on Monday and Crockett returns to her teaching job in Worland, Axtell’s concern is now for his neighbors who have not been as fortunate as he was in stopping the fire.
“I just talked to a couple of landowners over by the Klondike Peak area, the Lundgren family and Matt Brown,” Axtell said. “They're just now getting the fire to them.”
Brown, who has ranched in the Big Horn Basin his entire life, has seen these types of fires rage out of control only a few times before as the flames race out across the flats.
“It's the damnedest thing you've ever seen,” Brown said. “It just rolls. We had a 60-foot firebreak, and it just went right over the top of it.”
When the Axtell family home and ranch was threatened by the Red Canyon Fire, a team of neighbors and friends converged on the property to defend the land. The fire line was cut three miles from the Axtell family ranch house and stopped the fire from progressing into the ravines and hills of the Warm Springs area and the town of Thermopolis. (Courtesy Audrey Axtell-Crockett) 
Heavy equipment has been brought in to cut deep fire lines in the earth to stop the Red Canyon Fire from spreading. Unfortunately, high winds, dry grass and hot temperatures have created a dangerous situation and most of the fire breaks have been jumped by the flames. (Courtesy Tony Kiser) 
Air support has been dropping water and fire retardant on the Red Canyon Fire since Friday. Grateful ranchers often pause from fighting the blaze to watch the drops. (Courtesy Tony Kiser) 
Air support has been dropping water and fire retardant on the Red Canyon Fire since Friday. Grateful ranchers often pause from fighting the blaze to watch the drops. (Courtesy Tony Kiser) 
When the Red Canyon Fire blazed out of control, the Axtell family of Thermopolis and a team of neighbors and friends fought back the flames. They dug a fire line three miles from the family’s home and stopped the flames from spreading into the deep ravines and crevices of the Red Hills. By stopping the flames there, it prevented the fire from reaching the Warm Springs and getting close to the Town of Thermopolis. (Courtesy Audrey Axtell-Crockett) 
Ranchers and others can only look on as the Red Canyon Fire continues to burn up prime grazing land in rural Hot Springs County. The fire has jumped many fire breaks, roads, creeks and other obstacles to burn more than 100,000 acres in less than a week. (Courtesy Cheryl Howmiller) 
Ranchers and others can only look on as the Red Canyon Fire continues to burn up prime grazing land in rural Hot Springs County. The fire has jumped many fire breaks, roads, creeks and other obstacles to burn more than 100,000 acres in less than a week. (Courtesy Cheryl Howmiller) 
The Red Canyon Fire has been described as hell on earth as it scorches prime grazing lands in rural Hot Springs County. The blaze started with a lightning strike on Wednesday and grew to more than 100,000 acres in less than a week. (Courtesy Cheryl Howmiller)
Boots On The Ground
Brown is frustrated being confined to his house by the shoulder surgery and must depend on his wife, daughter and grandkids to fight the fire on his behalf.
“All the ranchers are up there working together and trying their damnedest to get this thing under control,” Brown said. “Everyone is helping everyone even though it might not be your cows at any particular time. It's all in danger.”
His own cows were stranded up in the Bridger Creek area before he could get them moved out, Kiser said. The cowboys on the Lyman Ranch have been moving Brown’s cows out of danger along with their own.
“Those ranchers aren't going to let the neighboring ranchers’ cows go,” Kiser said. “They will all step up and protect them. I've cut fire line on pretty much every neighboring ranch up there.”
Kiser said that the ranchers have all pulled together as a big community are helping each other out to move their livestock and find feed and water.
“Ranchers from four different counties are here helping out,” Kiser said. “They are attacking this fire and working closely together.”
Owners of heavy equipment have also stepped in to help. Sam Linden of Fluid Pro in Riverton sent a front-end loader and grader over to help Brown.
“He did this out of the goodness of his heart to help fight the battle,” Brown said. “His ranch is south of Lander, so it's a completely different area, but he's willing to send his equipment over.”
Grateful For The Firefighters
The planes and helicopters have made a dramatic difference in fighting back the flames and the ranchers have been grateful to see them arrive and grow. There now are 425 personnel working the Red Canyon Fire.
“The aerial support was amazing,” Axtell said. “When they mobilized those planes, they were hitting that fire with slurry and with water in dozens of drops.”
As the flames continue to spread, Axtell said the ranchers have the knowledge of the land on their side and are glad to share what they know with those just arriving.
“We just know where the roads are for firebreaks,” he said. “We know where old burns are at which does help slow the fire down.”
Axtell said that they are here to help with the firefighting efforts with this knowledge and their personal resources, and not to impede the crews and others who have mobilized in the area over the weekend.
“We know the terrain and vegetation,” Kiser said. “Unfortunately, that terrain is so rugged and rocky that it is hard to get equipment in there where we needed equipment to cut fire lines.
“We cut dozers where we probably shouldn't have, but we put them there to try and shut this fire down.”
Axtell and others say that communication is the key to successfully fighting this fire and letting the firefighters know their insider knowledge, such as which pastures have been grazed down, as well as to take advantage of their private equipment.
“We have resources on the ground that it takes them a lot of time and effort to mobilize,” Axtell said. “We have tractors and road graders and dozers that we can jump in and go right now, and we don't have to wait for orders from above.”
As quick-moving and dangerous as the fire is, Axtell believes time is not on their side and the ranchers can mobilize fast to create the firebreaks needed to stop the flames.
“Right now, the only way to stop a fire like this is with dozer lines,” he said.
Kiser agrees and, said that they are hard at work removing vegetation and shoving it out of the way with their dozers to raw dirt. Even that effort hasn’t been completely successful because of the high winds.
“The breaks will hold the fire,” Kiser said. “And then all of a sudden the wind picks up and the flames just jump the lines and take off.”
The Aftermath
It is mostly rangeland that is burning up, although several homes and structures are currently in the path of the fire.
“We don't know if we lost any structures yet because the smoke was so thick and we just had to get the hell out of there,” Brown said. “I'm not worried about the buildings there as much as I am the cattle.”
Although homes have been saved, at least one cabin has burned and many pastures destroyed.
“A lot of people were really impacted,” Axtell said.
According to Kiser, it takes three years for the grass to grow back and another five to 10 years for it to make a full comeback.
“It's going to be a long battle,” Kiser said. “I've seen the families that have been ranching here for years who are now concerned if they're going to keep their ranch or lose it.”
For Brown, he’s concerned with the grazing for his cattle he lost and was counting on.
“We've got three months of feed that have burnt up out there,” Brown said. “Where do you go with your cows?”
As the Red Canyon Fire continues to burn, the ranchers who have seen their rangeland scorched are already preparing for the long road ahead.
They have been especially grateful to their neighbors and all the firefighters who have stepped in to help.
“You feel pretty damn helpless when Mother Nature does something like this,” Brown said. “Especially when you can't physically do anything yourself.”
Jackie Dorothy can be reached at jackie@cowboystatedaily.com.
