Single Publication

Douglas, Wyo. – The La Bonte Fire is currently 3,482 acres in size with 12% containment. The fire was first reported on Thursday, September 12, and is burning in steep, rugged terrain approximately 6 miles west of Esterbrook, WY, and 20 miles south of Douglas, WY, on Bureau of Land Management and private lands. 

Firefighting resources include 2 fire modules, 7 hand crews, 8 smokejumpers, 10 engines, 4 helicopters and 2 dozers assigned to the fire, with approximately 200 personnel. 

Suppression efforts continue on the La Bonte Fire. Air resources are supporting ground crew firefighting efforts, and ground crews continue to hold and improve the progress made on the fire so far. 

Today, crews plan to mop up and patrol contained perimeter of the fire. The goal of mop up is to reduce the likelihood of the fire spreading into unburned areas. Crews also plan to put in fireline and fight the fire direct where it makes sense and is safe to do so on the western flank of the fire. Fireline is handline or dozer line that firefighters construct by digging down to the bare mineral soil to hold the fire and keep it from growing. Fire managers and crews use all available strategies and tools to suppress wildfires, and public and firefighter safety are the top priorities. 

Cooler temperatures and cloudy conditions moderated fire behavior and growth yesterday. Today, widespread showers and thunderstorms are expected, with potential for strong winds of 70 mph or greater in the afternoon. Gusty conditions are expected into the evening. For more information, visit the La Bonte Fire InciWeb page at https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident-information/wyhpd-la-bonte-fire. 

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