Crews gain ground on Willow Creek Fire; Community meeting set for tomorrow
Seth Ratliff
SMOOT, Wyo. (KIFI) — Fire managers will host a community meeting tomorrow, August 29, at the Afton Civic Center, located at 150 Washington Street. The meeting, which starts at 7 p.m., will provide updates on the ongoing efforts to fight the Willow Creek Fire. To watch the meeting online, click HERE.
The wildfire, which started last Friday, has now grown to 4,000 acres. In a release this morning, Bridger-Teton National Forest rangers confirmed that the fire is now 17% contained.
Crews have made progress on the east side of the fire, where they are building control lines and clearing vegetation to secure the perimeter, according to the release. Firefighters also set up a large, collapsible water reservoir, known as a “pumpkin”, to use with a sprinkler system if needed.
Firefighters are taking advantage of today’s rain and favorable weather to begin work on the fire’s west side. However, fire managers expect fire activity to increase as the rain and thunderstorms move out of the area in the coming days.
Evacuation zones remain at a ‘SET’ status, meaning residents should be prepared to evacuate at a moment’s notice. The affected areas are from milepost 75 south to Salt Pass and west of Highway 89, from Reeves-Schwab Lane south to Gomm’s Pond.