Wildfire burns 163,000 acres in northern Wyoming, forcing evacuations and I-90 closure

The House Draw Fire burning in northern Wyoming grew to more than 163,000 acres on Thursday — nearly the combined size of Denver and Salt Lake City — threatening structures, prompting evacuation orders and forcing the closure of Interstate 90.

The blaze is just one of multiple wildfires burning in the state, taxing fire resources and prompting public health warnings due to heavy smoke.

There are also two significant conflagrations burning in Campbell County and another in Sheridan County. Meanwhile, fire officials are bracing for a rapid expansion of the Fish Creek Fire near Togwotee Pass. 

House Draw ignited east of Buffalo on Wednesday due to lightning and quickly spread due to strong winds, crossing over Interstate 90 to the north and forcing the highway’s closure between Buffalo and Gillette, according to the Bureau of Land Management.

By Thursday, the fire had consumed more than 163,000 acres with no containment, according to figures shared by a spokeswoman for the firefighting effort. A satellite image shared by the National Weather Service Office in Riverton showed a burn area that stretched northeast of Buffalo across Interstate 90 and south to an area between Kaycee and Sussex. 

Threatened structures

Authorities ordered evacuations for rural residents in the area including Prairie Land Village between Crook Road and I-90, the Buffalo Sussex Cutoff and an area north of I-90 from Tipperary Road to the northern and eastern fire lines. Authorities opened an emergency shelter at the Bomber Mountain Civic Center in Buffalo. 

No homes had been lost as of early Thursday afternoon, but a few out buildings had burned, authorities reported. The fire threatened 60 structures, including oil and gas infrastructure, water tanks and miles of fencing.

Seventy firefighters and multiple aircraft were working the blaze.

Photographs posted on social media by the Wyoming Department of Transportation showed charred grasslands along the interstate, with damaged or destroyed road signs. Maintenance crews on Thursday were doing cleanup work, the department said. 

Lightning strikes also caused two large fires in nearby Campbell County, including one, the Constitution Fire, that had grown to 3,000 acres, the county fire department there reported Wednesday evening. A second, the Flat Rock Fire, burned roughly 500 acres and had damaged some structures. 

The Remington Fire had as of Thursday burned roughly 7,500 acres in northeast Sheridan County with no containment around the blaze, according to the Wyoming State Forestry Division’s statewide map.

Air quality concerns, overloaded 911 system

The National Weather Service issued an air quality alert for northern Wyoming including the communities of Buffalo, Kaycee, Cody, Sheridan, Gillette and Yellowstone National Park. It warned children, older adults and people with respiratory problems to avoid excessive physical exertion and minimize outdoor time.

Farther to the south, smoke from multiple fires caused air quality problems in the Casper area. Natrona County Emergency Management reported Thursday the air quality index for the area hit 162, which qualifies as unhealthy. The agency made similar recommendations as the weather service, including limiting time spent outdoors.

The Casper Fire-EMS Department said its 911 system has been overloaded with calls concerning the heavy smoke.

“We humbly ask that you refrain from calling 911 to report ‘smoke in the area’ or something of that nature,” the department said in a statement.

Evacuation notices

In the northwest corner of the state, a new “complex incident management team” was ordered to manage the Fish Creek Fire, which had grown to nearly 7,800 acres after lightning ignited it on Aug. 16 southwest of Togwotee Pass. Fire managers were bracing Thursday for “significant growth” due to warm temperatures and strengthening winds. Heavy smoke limited visibility for drivers traveling on nearby U.S. Highway 26/287.

Fremont County Emergency Management issued level 2 evacuation notices — warning people to be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice — for homes on West Pinnacle, East Pinnacle and Breccia drives, Pinnacle Lane and for Brooks Lake Road including Brooks Lake Lodge.

In a statement, Gov. Mark Gordon thanked the fire crews working across the state. 

“It is demanding work, and it is important we do all we can to assist them in their effort to protect lives and property,” he said in a statement.