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Jackson Wyo., September 30, 2024 -The Pack Trail Fire exhibited extreme fire behavior on Sunday, burning in heavy timber and growing substantially with 60-mile per hour wind gusts. The fire grew to 19,608 acres yesterday with red flag conditions. “The fire made a 5-mile wind driven run with crowning and spotting during the afternoon,” said District Ranger Todd Stiles. The extreme fire behavior prompted evacuations and an increase in the evacuation alert level for several subdivisions and ranches in Fremont County, WY. Currently the fire is paused on the ridge between Lava Mountain peak and the old Lava Mountain burn scar, above the Lava Mountain Lodge. “The fire is continuing to burn on the interior right now, and that's expected to continue today,” added Stiles.

Firefighters are assessing the area down ridge from the fire edge and looking for spots where the fire is trying to spread. Structure protection groups have been formed to perform assessments and ready structures along the Wind River corridor with protection apparatus. More resources have been arriving all morning, including firefighting hand crews and additional fire engines. A complex incident management team from California, CA Team 10, is arriving over the next two days and is expected to assume command of the fire late Wednesday, October 2 or early Thursday, October 3.

“The winds are expected to moderate somewhat today, but terrain alignment down canyon is still present, and we are still facing warm temperatures and low humidity,” Stiles said.

The Fish Creek Fire to the north saw less active fire behavior yesterday. For more information on the Fish Creek Fire, visit that fire's Inciweb site at https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/wybtf-fish-creek-fire.