Single Publication

PACK TRAIL FIRE

Saturday, October 26, 2024 Update

Fire Information Phone: 307-395-2351      8am-8pm   

Email: 2024.Packtrail@firenet.gov

Total Acres: 89,921 

Confined: 70%     

Total Personnel: 588

Operations – On the north and east sides of the Pack Trail Fire, crews continue to complete fire suppression repair.  Cold trailing continues along the fire edge as safety hazards allow. Crews continue to break down structure protection equipment along Highway 26.  On the southwestern flank, crews continue to secure the fire’s edge, cold trailing and extinguishing any remaining visible smoke. Crews are chipping slash in shaded fuel breaks and cleaning ditches along forest roads. Precipitation and cold temperatures continue to aid suppression efforts on the fire.  Helicopters are being utilized in the backcountry to backhaul unnecessary equipment and supplies.  

Safety – Despite the recent and predicted precipitation, Teton Interagency Fire Managers are maintaining the Very High Fire Danger Rating for Grand Teton National Park, the Bridger-Teton National Forest, the Shoshone National Forest, and the National Elk Refuge. This precipitation was not a fire season-ending event. Due to wind, fuels will begin to rapidly dry out when the snow melts. Residents and visitors are reminded to exercise extreme caution when dealing with fires or other possible ignition sources. 

Please use caution while driving in these areas, especially on narrow secondary roads. Always expect to encounter fire vehicles and heavy equipment in and around the fire area. Check with WY-DOT for possible closures due to fire activity, especially if you are planning to travel on US-26 across the Continental Divide. 

“If you fly, we can’t.” Remember that flying a personal drone over a fire area during a temporary flight restriction is illegal and can be an extremely dangerous threat to our aviators and firefighters on the ground. 

Weather—Today will be mostly sunny, with temperatures of 53-58 degrees and minimum relative humidities of 18-23%. Winds from the southwest to west will be 6-11 MPH with gusts up to 20 MPH. High pressure will remain in the area on Sunday before a cold front moves into the area on Monday bringing with it rain and snow showers for the early part of next week.  To learn more about air quality, visit Fire.AirNow.Gov.

Evacuations – Evacuation areas have been reduced to a Level 1 “Ready” status for the Union Pass subdivision, Lava Mountain Lodge, Triangle C Ranch, and Old Mackenzie Ranch.  All other evacuation areas have been rescinded.  See the Fremont County Emergency Management Facebook Page for alerts and updates. See the Teton County Emergency Management website updates and to sign up for emergency alerts through Everbridge.

Road Closures – The Union Pass Road is closed on the Pinedale Ranger District (BTNF) from Mosquito Lake to the Moon Lake Road on the Wind River District (SHO). Moon Lake Road is also closed. 

Forest Closures - Closure Order #04-03-24-317 is in effect from October 14, 2024, at 12:00 p.m. through November 15, 2024 at 12:00 a.m. unless rescinded. This order supersedes previous orders, including #04-03-24-316, prohibiting the same or similar acts in the same described area. 

For more information, visit: Facebook: USDA Forest Service - Bridger-Teton National Forest, USDA Forest Service - Shoshone National Forest  Pack Trail Inciweb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/wybtf-pack-trail-fire