JH Underground – news, sports and music blog from Jackson Hole, Wyoming news, sports and music blog from Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Update 11:40 a.m.: Evacuation advisory extended to residents east of Vine Street and south of East Kelly Avenue, including Snow King Resort. This is due to evacuation logistics, not change in fire status. Map here.

Update 10:15 a.m.: Decision postponed another two hours. Fire managers may take preventive measures on properties in east Jackson. Jackson Hole Fire/EMS is managing the effort in town, while the Type II team oversees fight in forest.

Update 8:15 a.m.: Still awaiting word on evacuation, but in a gift from the heavens, rain has begun to fall. The storm is passing mostly to the north, but east Jackson is cold and wet. Decision postponed till 10 a.m.

Update 7:15 a.m.: Town of Jackson issues evacuation advisory for residents south of Broadway and east of Redmond. Town advises residents to be prepared for evacuation should an order be issued. Decision to come at 8 a.m.

The Little Horsethief Fire had grown to 1,500 acres and was only 15 percent contained as of 10 p.m. Sunday, according to the latest incident report.

Sunday evening felt like the whole town was gathered around a huge campfire, watching and waiting with a mixture of fascination and trepidation.

Read More…

Posted under Environment, Ski Resorts, Weather

Tags: cache creek, horsethief fire, national forest, snow king

Update 6:10 p.m.: The fire has reached the ridge atop the Cache Creek drainage, approximately 2 miles from the trailhead. Fire managers are warning residents of the Snow King area to be prepared to implement an evacuation plan Monday.

For more recent updates, see the comments.

As afternoon winds have picked up, the Little Horsethief Fire is burning in Wilson Canyon behind Snow King, giving residents of east Jackson a close-up view of the fight.

A 100-acre spot fire ahead of the main blaze has sent a huge plume of smoke above the ridge separating Cache Creek from Game Creek. But the main fire is still 1 to 1.5 miles from Snow King, a county spokeswoman said.

Residents are out in the streets, watching the smoke billow over Cache. Tankers have been making passes as they head toward Wilson Canyon to drop retardant.

Charlotte Reynolds, Teton County information officer, said there is no reason to panic. East Jackson is “not in imminent danger at this time,” she said.

But one man on Willow Street was packing his truck for a possible evacuation, saying he is taking no chances. The man said he is from Colorado Springs, where a fire torched hundreds of homes in June.

Read More…

Posted under Environment, Ski Resorts, Weather

Tags: cache creek, game creek, horsethief fire, national forest, snow king

Updated 2:15 p.m. with closure map, after jump

Despite an intensive effort by firefighters, the Little Horsethief Fire continues to burn south of Jackson, and with high winds expected today, the Bridger-Teton National Forest has closed trails around Snow King and Cache Creek.

The fire had burned 750 acres as of this morning, according to the interagency incident page. Despite drops of water and flame retardant by tankers and helicopters, it was only 10 percent contained as of 10 p.m. last night. The fire is moving north and northeast.

One Teton County fire engine was destroyed last night while refueling when an ember landed on spilled gasoline. Firefighters ran and escaped without injury.

Read More…

Posted under Environment, Ski Resorts, Sports, Weather

Tags: cache creek, game creek, horsethief fire, mountain biking, national forest, snow king

A 400-acre fire burning behind the Little Horsethief subdivision south of Jackson already has forced evacuation of an industrial area off Highway 89, and Game Creek residents have been advised to prepare for evacuation.

No structures are threatened in Game Creek as of the latest update at 6:20 p.m. from Teton County Emergency Management. Also, fire managers report no danger to Snow King, according to the interagency incident page.

Two helicopters and four engines are fighting the blaze, which is burning on the east side of the highway about 6 miles south of town. At 6:15 p.m., a tanker dropped nearly 3,000 gallons of flame retardant on an adjacent hillside.

Read More…

Posted under Environment, Weather

Tags: game creek, horsethief fire, national forest