Clouds rolled in and temperatures dropped by about 10 degrees Wednesday, providing cautious optimism that the worst might be over for the Weiser Knoll Fire near Lander.
The latest report from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) listed the fire at 16,531 acres and 30% contained. Nearly 200 personnel were battling the blaze, including firefighters on the ground and helicopter and slurry bomber crews dropping water and fire retardant.
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.
Some rain was expected in the Weiser Knoll Fire area, but it probably wouldn’t be enough to make a significant difference Wednesday, BLM spokeswoman Laura Lozier told Cowboy State Daily.
“It isn’t those wetting rains that are needed to have an effect on the fire,” she said. “Tomorrow (Thursday) there is a higher percentage of wetting rains.”
Fort Washakie residents were also evacuated Tuesday when a wildfire quickly blew up to about 500 acres. That blaze was quickly contained, and the evacuation order was lifted at about 4:45 p.m., according to reports.
No cause is listed for that fire.
According to state and federal fire agency reports, the Weiser Knoll Fire was sparked at about 2:15 p.m. Sunday on Highway 28 about 13 miles southeast of Lander.
An overheated bearing caused three initial fires to spring up alongside the road at a spot known as Johnnie Lee’s Corner, according to reports. It is burning in short grass, sagebrush steppe and juniper.
‘It’s Raining Here Now’
Fort Washakie resident Sarah Ortegon, who was among those evacuated Tuesday, told Cowboy State Daily on Wednesday she is relieved about the change in weather.
“It’s raining here now. I’m very happy about that,” she said.
Ortegon works from home and said the evacuation order came as a surprise Tuesday afternoon.
“My husband called me about a half-hour before” and alerted her that a range fire had started nearby, she said. “Then, my neighbor came over and told me, ‘It’s time to evacuate.' I had to load up my dog and my two cats into my car.”
Ortegon also grabbed her family’s birth certificates and other vital documents on her way out the door. She drove out of town through a surreal scene.
“The fire had scorched everything near the road, and there were firefighters all along the way,” Ortegon said.
The evacuation didn’t last long. She and her pets were allowed to return home after about a half-hour.
Headway On Weiser Knoll
It was still too soon to tell Wednesday morning whether crews had gained the upper hand with the Weiser Knoll Fire, but efforts were moving toward containment, Lozier said.
“Today, crews are doing mop-up operations” in some of the worst hot spots, while also securing the fire’s perimeters, she said.
“Some of the junipers in that area really hold heat, so they’re addressing those spots," Lozier said.
Two more bulldozers were brought in, for a total of three working the perimeters, she said.
While overcast weather was helping, wind remained a concern, as it might cause the fire to jump to new spots, she added.
“The wind is always a factor. These thunderstorms are bringing the chance of gusts,” Lozier said.
Still Feeding A Big Crew
Michelle Motherway, owner of Mr. D’s Food Center in Lander, has been pitching into feed firefighters since Sunday. She told Cowboy State Daily that Wednesday was still busy.
She said about a dozen volunteers had stepped in to help prepare meals to be delivered to firefighters in the field.
“We’re still feeding all of the firefighters three meals a day,” Motherway said. “I think with America being on fire right now, it’s hard for agencies to find a fire caterer, so we're here to step into the gap.”
Closures Still In Effect
The BLM reminded people to stay away from the fire zone at Weiser Knoll.
“A closure is in effect for all BLM-administered lands within the junction of U.S. Highway 287 and Wyoming Highway 28. This includes all of the lands east of Wyoming Highway 28 to Beaver Creek and all lands south of U.S. Highway 287 to Beaver Creek,” according to the BLM.
Twin Creek Road also remained closed to everyone except fire crews and local landowners.
High Plains Power stated on social media that its crews were busy Wednesday restoring power along lines that had been damaged by the Weiser Knoll and Fort Washakie fires.
A message requesting further comment from the company was not answered by publication time.
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
