Fontenelle Fire burning on the Bridger-Teton

The Fontenelle Fire is rapidly consuming hundreds of acres in the Bridger-Teton National Forest west of Big Piney.

PINEDALE - On Sunday, June 24 at 4:30 p.m., the Fontenelle Fire was reported on the Bridger Teton National Forest (BTNF).

As of Thursday morning, the 25,000-acre fire is burning in heavy dead and fallen timber. Smoke is visible from Big Piney, the Star Valley area, Pinedale and Riverton. The fire is located roughly 33 miles northwest of LaBarge approximately three miles west of the Scaler Guard Station. According to Teton Interagency Fire, the Fontenelle fire is moving northeast.

The Middle Piney Road, LaBarge Creek Road, Coal Creek Road and Indian Creek Road are all closed. There have been evacuations of the Middle Piney summer homes and campsites, the Sacagawea campground and well equipment up Cottonwood Road, near Mickelson Creek.

The cause of the Fontenelle Fire is currently under investigation. The fire danger rating for the BTNF was increased to “high” on Thursday, June 21, and there have been red flag warnings every day since.

There are currently three helicopters, two of which are Type 2 helicopters and one Type 3 helicopter, assigned to the fire. A Type 2 helicopter can carry 9-14 passengers and up to 300 gallons of water or fire retardant. A Type 3 helicopter is comparatively smaller, carrying up to eight passengers and 100 gallons of liquid.

The helicopters used for firefighting missions such as the one currently being faced with the Fontenelle Fire are selected based on both their lifting capabilities as well as the size of crew that can be accommodated by its cabin size, according to a press release from BTNF.

Sunday, firefighters ordered a retardant drop on the south side of the fire, and, on Monday, efforts were focused on keeping the fire south of the La Barge Creek road. By the end of the day Tuesday, the fire had jumped the creek and was burning in Snider Basin.

On Sunday, firefighters began suppressing the fire with eight smoke jumpers, specialized in wildland firefighting with a helicopter, and there were additional fire engines ordered.

As the fire grew from 100 acres to 300 acres, more resources were ordered. Throughout the day on Tuesday the wind led to further spreading of the fire, growing from 300 acres in the morning, to 2,000 acres that night. By Wednesday morning the fire was measured at 12,000 acres.

The additional resources ordered Monday included a Type 3 Incident Management Team to combat the fire. The Type 3 Incident Management Team assumed control of the fire at 6 p.m. that night.

This team managed the incident and the resources until the fire continued to expand throughout the day on Tuesday, when they brought in a Type 2 Incident Management Team. More firefighters were ordered, with a total of 118 personnel attempting to suppress the fire on Thursday, according to BTNF Public Affairs Officer Mary Cernicek.

The public should be aware of the high fire danger when recreating in the BTNF. It is important that all campfires are extinguished completely; the slightest breeze can have a devastating effect if it ignites lingering embers. There is a ban on the use of fireworks in the BTNF and in all of Sublette County.

When parking a vehicle in or around tall grass, it is important to be cautious of the fire hazard, and all individuals who smoke must be cautious of cigarette butts. It is best if an ashtray or trashcan is used for disposal.

A press release from the Bureau of Land Management also reminds people that all off-highway vehicles must be equipped with Society of Automotive Engineers approved spark arresters.