The Weiser Knoll wildfire southeast of Lander, sparked by an overheated trailer wheel bearing Sunday afternoon, exploded to roughly 13,350 acres by midday Tuesday and was 0% contained.
The fire, the largest of the summer so far in Wyoming, prompted an evacuation order for residents in the Twin Creek Drainage area, east of Wyoming Highway 28.
Area rancher Rhett Abernathy told Cowboy State Daily that by about noon Tuesday he and others hoped the worst was over, as winds calmed and “slurry bombers” continued to drop water and fire retardant on the blaze.
Sunday night was awful, he said, as the fire was driven by strong winds.
“That first night, the wind picked up and the fire started running down the ridges. Everybody was just waiting for their places to go up,” Abernathy said.
According to state and federal fire agency reports, the fire was sparked at about 2:15 p.m. Sunday on Highway 28 about 13 miles southeast of Lander.
The overheated bearing caused three initial fires to spring up alongside the road at a spot known as Johnnie Lee’s Corner, according to reports.
The Weiser Knoll Fire southeast of Lander started Sunday afternoon and was still 0% contained Tuesday. (Courtesy Rhett Abernathy) 
The Weiser Knoll Fire southeast of Lander started Sunday afternoon and was still 0% contained Tuesday. (Courtesy Rhett Abernathy) 
The Weiser Knoll Fire southeast of Lander started Sunday afternoon and was still 0% contained Tuesday. (Courtesy Rhett Abernathy)
‘Five-Foot Flames’
Lander resident Michelle Motherway told Cowboy State Daily she was camping with family Sunday and drove back into town after the fire started.
“There were five-foot flames right on the side of the highway,” she said.
The smoke in town wasn’t terrible Tuesday, but late Sunda, it was miserable, Motherway said.
“Two nights ago, it was really reminiscent of the (1988) Yellowstone fires, where you could see that the moon was orange and the sky was orange. It was just eerie,” she said.
Rangeland Scorched
Abernathy said that during its initial stages, the fire tore through ranchland on the Abernathy Ranches and Bureau of Land Management allotments leased by the ranch.
It was touch-and-go for a while, he said, as they scrambled to move cattle out of the flames’ path.
Luckily, Abernathy said, nobody was hurt and no cattle were killed.
“We had a couple of old log cabins and old barns burn, but they were of no function,” he said.
However, a significant amount of rangeland was rendered useless for grazing, he said.
“It will be the year after next before we can graze any of it again,” Abernathy said.
Cattle from the Abernathy Ranchers southeast of Lander linger on devastated rangeland. (Courtesy Rhett Abernathy) 
The Weiser Knoll Fire southeast of Lander started Sunday afternoon and was still 0% contained Tuesday. (Courtesy Rhett Abernathy) 
The Weiser Knoll Fire southeast of Lander started Sunday afternoon and was still 0% contained Tuesday. (Courtesy Rhett Abernathy)
Feeding the Firefighters
Motherway owns Mr. D’s Food Center in Lander, which has been helping to feed firefighters.
“When the fire broke out on Sunday, I got hold of the fire incident command, and we arranged to get food for them,” she said. “We fed 65 people Sunday evening.”
But as local Wyoming State Forestry and BLM crews were called in, the number of firefighters needed three meals a day delivered to them ballooned.
“We’re feeding 200 people breakfast, lunch, and dinner,” she said.
With only three full-time staff at the store, meeting demand requires “an army of volunteers,” Motherway added.
Codi Jorgensen, a local teacher, volunteered to help prepare firefighters’ meals, along with her 11-year-old daughter.
“We were there (at the store) for four or five hours, putting meals together,” Jorgensen said.
Motherway stepping up to help is “just Michelle being Michelle,” Jorgensen said. So, she and her daughter were happy to pitch in.
She added that while the smoke hasn’t been so horrible in town, the fire still has an ominous presence.
“We can see it from our back deck at my house. You can see the flames,” Jorgensen said.
‘Lookie-Loos’
Motherway said there have been some “lookie-loos” showing up to try to get a look at the fire, which can impede firefighters and cause safety problems.
The BLM concurred.
“Twin Creek Rd. is closed to the public and only open to area landowners. Highways WY 28 and US 287 remain open, but please remain alert and yield to fire traffic and crews working in the area. For public and firefighter safety, the public is asked to remain out of and away from the fire perimeter,” the agency stated in a fire update Tuesday afternoon. “Red Flag conditions, characterized by strong gusty winds, low relative humidity, and elevated temperatures, contributed to heightened fire activity yesterday (Monday).”
On Tuesday, ground crews were “constructing direct containment lines," as aircraft continued to drop water and fire retardant.
“Coordination continues with local power companies to restore power to the area,” the BLM reported.
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
