A 56-acre grass fire that ignited a large swath of an Albany County grass field west of Laramie on Monday is believed to have originated from Interstate 80, Albany County officials believe.
The fire began around 4:45 p.m. Monday in a field near mile marker 310 of Interstate 80. Crews said they encountered flames as high as 6-8 feet on the scene, driven by winds of up to 10 mph.
As a safety precaution, officials shut down the westbound lane of the interstate and evacuated buildings west of the fire.
At its peak, the blaze spread to 56 acres before officials contained it around 12:10 a.m. Tuesday. Crews remain on scene throughout the day to monitor the site and oversee the smoldering remains of the fire, according to Albany County Emergency Management.
What Happened?
Albany County Emergency Management coordinator Kate Allred told Cowboy State Daily that while officials still have not uncovered the source of the blaze, they believe it originated from I-80.
Allred also acknowledged conditions Monday were ripe for a grass fire, given the prevalence of dry air and high winds.
“It definitely came off the shoulder of the interstate,” she said. “They know where it started. They are looking to see if they can find any evidence of what started it.”
She said investigators are continuing to examine the scene for clues but acknowledged “we may never know” what exactly sparked the fire. Allred also said the fire’s proximity to multiple gas stations played a major factor in responders’ decision to evacuate the area.
The coordination of several agencies, including the City of Laramie Fire Department, Albany County Fire District and other volunteer departments resulted in zero damage to surrounding buildings and no injuries. Allred said such an outcome is “pretty impressive.”
“I would just like to thank all of the surrounding agencies, their awesome efforts kept it from spreading and there was a good potential for that with the winds,” she said. “I’m just very thankful that it all turned out the way that it did.”
A 56-acre grass fire that ignited near multiple Laramie gas stations Monday is believed to have originated from I-80, officials believe. Fire crews are now watching the area to ensure the blaze does not rekindle. (Courtesy Laramie Fire Department) 
A 56-acre grass fire that ignited near multiple Laramie gas stations Monday is believed to have originated from I-80, officials believe. Fire crews are now watching the area to ensure the blaze does not rekindle. (Courtesy Laramie Fire Department) 
A 56-acre grass fire that ignited near multiple Laramie gas stations Monday is believed to have originated from I-80, officials believe. Fire crews are now watching the area to ensure the blaze does not rekindle. (Courtesy Laramie Fire Department) 
A 56-acre grass fire that ignited near multiple Laramie gas stations Monday is believed to have originated from I-80, officials believe. Fire crews are now watching the area to ensure the blaze does not rekindle. (Courtesy Laramie Fire Department)
Firewatch
Cowboy State Daily meteorologist Don Day said Monday’s weather created prime conditions for a wildfire to ignite. Late fall time in Wyoming often sees dry air and high winds, which can create fires, he said.
“Certainly, it's been dry here over the last four weeks,” Day said. “And this is a time of year where the weeds are dead, so your fuel is out and the grass pretty high. You just have dead organic matter.”
“It was also really low humidity, and it was pretty gusty, so there was a situation where a fire could easily get started because of those conditions,” he said of Monday’s weather.
Day suspected the fire could have likely originated from human activity, given its proximity to the interstate. He said any number of circumstances, intentional or otherwise, could have led to the fire.
“Something happens like somebody throws out a cigarette butt, or somebody's not careful burning, someone parks a hot muffler in the tall grass,” he said. “There's that human element that has to be factored in.
“You're in the time of year of elevated fire risk if you have these dry periods,” he added. “All the things that grew this summer are out there and are dry.”
He said, however, that the weather will likely change quickly with the approach of late November and early December. Day added that while the odds of fire decrease with the arrival of snowfall, Wyoming is “still going to be in the elevated fire risk for another week.”
Shut It Down
Monday’s weather also caused Black Hills Energy to issue a warning to customers in the Cheyenne area that they may experience an emergency outage due to the inclement conditions.
While the company ultimately reversed course on its plan, the warning upended the day for multiple area residents who scrambled to prepare for the outage. One resident, who spoke with anonymity, said they left work early to prepare their backup generator and secure drinking water.
“The poor communication is frustrating,” the resident told Cowboy State Daily. "I also don’t understand why 4 p.m. was selected for shut down. Winds have been howling all day. I hope Black Hills does some follow-up communications. I just want to understand the process so we can be better prepared to be a partner and not a side effect.”
Earlier this year, Wyoming passed legislation requiring wildfire mitigation plans from utility companies, but Black Hills Energy spokeswoman Laurie Farkas said the company's Public Safety Power Shutoff announcement was “not tied to legislation.”
Jackson Walker can be reached at walker@cowboystatedaily.com.
