Fire Danger Rating Elevated to High

August 19, 2011

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On Thursday, August 18, Teton Interagency fire managers elevated the fire danger rating to “high” for both Bridger-Teton National Forest and Grand Teton National Park. Dry vegetation—combined with seasonable temperatures, low humidity and afternoon winds—has increased the potential for fire activity.

When determining fire danger ratings, fire managers use several indices: the moisture content of grasses, shrubs and trees; the projected weather conditions (including temperatures and possible wind events); the ability of fire to spread after ignition; and the availability of firefighting resources across the country. A high fire danger rating means that fires can start easily and spread quickly.

Local residents and visitors alike should exercise an extra measure of caution and practice heightened fire safety at all times. Responsible steps include making sure that a campfire is thoroughly extinguished and cold to the touch before leaving a campsite.

Unattended or abandoned campfires can quickly escalate into wildfires. The fine for an abandoned campfire is $225, but campers can also be held liable for suppression costs if their campfire becomes a wildfire. Visitors should never leave a fire unattended, and always prepare for the unexpected by having a water bucket and shovel on hand.

This season in the Teton Interagency personnel have extinguished 52 unattended or abandoned campfires.

Grand Teton National Park and the Bridger-Teton National Forest have each had three fire starts this year. One of the fires ignited by sparks arching from a powerline after a tree fell against it, and another is suspected to be human caused because of its location in a developed area with no evidence of a lightning strike.

For more fire information, please visit the Web at http://gacc.nifc.gov/egbc/dispatch/wy-tdc/index.html or http://www.tetonfires.com/, or follow GrandTetonNPS or BridgerTetonNF on Twitter.

To report a fire or smoke in either area, call Teton Interagency Dispatch Center at 307.739.3630.

Teton Interagency Firefighters Suppress Fire at Colter Bay Area in Grand Teton NP

August 17, 2011
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Teton Interagency firefighters suppressed a small fire yesterday afternoon, August 16, near the Colter Bay Tent Village in Grand Teton National Park. The cause of the fire is unknown, although
a thunderstorm recently passed through the Colter Bay area.

Teton Interagency fire officials received a report about the fire
at 3:55 p.m. on Tuesday from staff at the Colter Bay cabin office. Engine 4 and its crew responded and began suppression actions because of its location within a developed area. The fire was contained at less than a 10th of an acre and declared out
by 6:20 p.m.

This marks the third fire start this season in Grand Teton National Park. The first fire began on June 29, with a spark from a powerline near Pilgrim Creek. The second fire started from a lightning strike near Cow Lake, just east of Signal Mountain.

The current fire danger is listed as “moderate.” As of August 16, there have been 52 abandoned or unattended campfires discovered on the Bridger-Teton National Forest and in Grand Teton National Park.

With the arrival of the annual fire season, area residents and visitors are requested to report a fire or smoke by calling 307.739.3630.

For more fire information, please visit www.tetonfires.com.

Firefighters Suppress Cow Lake Fire

August 8, 2011

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Teton Interagency firefighters suppressed a small lightning-caused fire in Grand Teton National Park on Sunday, August 7. The passage of a thunderstorm on Sunday afternoon ignited a single snag fire just south of Signal Mountain, near a small pothole pond called Cow Lake.

The Cow Lake Fire was initially reported by a visitor who saw the lightning strike and rising smoke around 2:30 p.m. from the top of Signal Mountain. Teton Interagency fire crews assigned to park-based engines, along with fire monitoring staff, pinpointed the fire and reached its location at 4 p.m.

As a naturally ignited fire burning in Grand Teton National Park’s conditional fire zone, the Cow Lake Fire was assessed for multiple management strategies. Based on guidelines in the park's Fire Management Plan, the decision was made to suppress the fire due to its proximity to telecommunication equipment and nearby lodging facilities.

The Cow Lake Fire was contained at one tenth of an acre around 6:30 p.m. and will be monitored until declared out.

Warmer temperatures and drying vegetation have prompted Teton Interagency fire officials to increase the fire danger rating to “Moderate.” A moderate rating means that fires in open cured grasslands will burn briskly and spread rapidly on windy days, and fires in forested areas may spread slowly to moderately fast, with short-distance spotting possible.

As vegetation continues to cure and dry during August, fire managers urge visitors and local residents to be cautious with campfires and other flammable materials.

Prescribed Fire Planned for Hunter Ranch Area

August 8, 2011

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Teton Interagency fire personnel and Grand Teton National Park natural resource managers are planning a 186-acre prescribed fire for mid to late August, whenever conditions are favorable. The burn unit is part of a 4,057-acre native rangeland restoration project in the Hunter Ranch area of the park. This project involves a multistage effort to convert pasture land back to native vegetation as part of the 2007 Bison and Elk Management Plan for the National Elk Refuge and Grand Teton National Park.

The Aspen Ridge/Hunter Ranch area was an irrigated hayfield prior to the 1970s. Despite a decades-long recovery time, untreated areas of the extensive hayfields are still dominated by non-native grasses and a host of noxious weeds.

"Restoration of native shrub lands requires a multi-step/multi-year process that poses distinct challenges at each level,” said Jason Brengle, Grand Teton National Park vegetation biologist. “We’ve been very successful with the first obstacle in the process, which was removal of existing smooth brome. During the period between the initial herbicide treatment to remove smooth brome and the planting of native seed the following year, most sites become colonized by  unwanted annual plant species and patches of noxious weeds. To inhibit the growth of these plants, NPS personnel began sowing cereal grain in the fall to act as a cover crop throughout the next growing season. The cover crop also adds organic material into the soil and helps to loosen compacted soil.”

The objective of this prescribed burn is to remove the cover crop in preparation for seeding the site with native species this fall. The prescribed fire will eliminate an additional herbicide treatment, and the late summer timing of the burn will help maximize benefits provided by the cover crop.

Fire managers will consider several factors before beginning the Hunter Ranch prescribed fire; these include weather forecasts, the condition of vegetation (dried or green), and the presence of nesting birds in the area.

Prescribed-fire ignitions will proceed only when favorable weather and fire behavior conditions are met. Smoke will be evident during the day of the burn and may persist for several days after, especially in mountain valleys during early morning and evening hours. Local residents and visitors should exercise caution in the vicinity of the prescribed-fires. Minimal traffic restrictions may occur to allow for public and firefighter safety, and fire equipment access.

Rangers Extinguish RV Fire at Park Campground

July 8, 2011

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Grand Teton National Park rangers, with the help of Jackson Hole Fire/EMS, extinguished a sizeable fire in a 30-foot motor coach at the Colter Bay RV Park on the evening of July 7. Teton Interagency Dispatch Center received notification of the fire at 9:30 p.m., and a ranger reached the campsite just two minutes later. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The occupants of the motor home, a couple from Cincinnati, Ohio, were watching TV when they noticed smoke and quickly evacuated the vehicle. A bystander, who also noticed the smoke, called 911 to report the fire. Other nearby campers began to use water hoses to help douse the flames until structural firefighters could arrive. When the first ranger arrived at the campsite, flames were visible through the recreational vehicle’s windows and heavy smoke was seeping outside. Eventually the flames began to emerge though the roof and air conditioning unit.

Engine 2 from Grand Teton arrived on scene just as the motor coach became fully engulfed in flames. Firefighters on the engine were able to suppress and contain the fire to the motor home. They were able to eventually enter the motor coach to extinguish the flames inside. Teton County Engine 42 and Tender 47 responded from Station 4 in Moran and Battalion 3 from Jackson also responded. About 15 personnel were involved in the structural fire operation.

There were no injuries; however, the motor coach sustained substantial damage and a domestic cat was trapped inside.

Fourth of July Fireworks Restrictions Apply

June 30, 2011
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As the Fourth of July holiday approaches, visitors and local residents alike are reminded that fireworks are not permitted in Grand Teton National Park, on the Bridger-Teton National Forest, or in Teton County.  It is essential that everyone comply with this regulation, especially given the warmer temperatures and drying conditions taking place across the greater Jackson Hole area. 


Besides the fireworks prohibition on public and county lands, campers are reminded that unattended or abandoned campfires can easily escalate into wildfires; therefore, it is important that all campfires are completely extinguished and cold to the touch before leaving a site. Campers and day users should never leave a fire unattended, and should always be prepared by having a shovel on hand and a water bucket ready for use.


Despite the unusually wet and cool spring this year, abandoned campfires and fireworks can still lead to an unwanted wildfire. As of Wednesday, June 29, at least two human-caused fires have occurred on the Bridger-Teton National Forest and 12 unattended or abandoned campfires were discovered and extinguished by Teton Interagency fire staff and law enforcement officials at forest camp sites.


With the arrival of the annual fire season, area residents and visitors are requested to report a fire or smoke by calling 307.739.3630. For more fire information, please visit www.tetonfires.com. 

Teton Interagency Firefighters & Equipment Respond to Southwest Fires

Teton Interagency fire engine works local fire.

Teton Interagency firefighters fill portable water tank.

June 21, 2011

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Sixty-four firefighters from the Bridger-Teton National Forest and Grand Teton National Park, along with essential firefighting equipment, have responded to support wildfire response in the Southwest and southern United States. Teton area firefighters are available to assist firefighting efforts on large-scale fires across the country because local conditions in Wyoming remain exceptionally green after a prolonged winter and a wet, cool spring.

Currently, four Teton Interagency Fire engines with crews and one Sublette County fire engine and crew are on assignments in Arizona, New Mexico and west Texas. One engine just returned after a two-week assignment on the Wallow Fire in Arizona. Fire engines from Kemmerer and Moose are waiting for fire assignments, and a Teton Interagency contract helicopter left Monday with a crew of six for the Pacheco Fire in New Mexico. In addition, a 20-person hand crew mobilized Sunday for the Wallow Fire in Arizona.

An additional 16 people from Bridger-Teton National Forest and Grand Teton National Park are on fire assignments, primarily in supervisory roles.

The total number of Teton Interagency Fire personnel supporting fires in other states stands at 64.

“Out-of-area resources often help us when we are experiencing a busy fire season in the greater Jackson Hole area and other parts of Wyoming, so it’s good that we can return the favor,” said Chip Collins, fire management officer with Grand Teton National Park. “When the 20-person Teton crew goes out to a fire, we are able to get folks from other program areas on assignment. It’s a great opportunity for people to get important fire experience.”

Teton Interagency Fire began sending resources to Texas and the Southwest in April. Fire assignments typically last 14 days, with additional travel days factored in. Firefighters are dispatched through a national resource ordering system, and trained using National Wildfire Coordinating Group standards. Rigorous physical fitness standards are also required.

Teton Interagency Fire Employees Receive 2010 Regional Awards

Mack McFarland

Martha Williamson

May 31, 2011
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On behalf of the National Park Service Intermountain Region (IMR), Grand Teton National Park Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott and Bridger-Teton National Forest Supervisor Jacque Buchanan presented Teton Interagency Fire employees with awards for excellence in fire management. Grand Teton National Park Assistant Fire Management Officer Mack McFarland received the IMR Interagency Fire Management Leadership Award and Martha Williamson, Teton Interagency fire planner, received the IMR Fire Management Achievement Award.

McFarland’s leadership award recognizes his exemplary service and dual role for the past three years as a fuels specialist for Grand Teton National Park and as the north zone assistant fire management officer for fuels on the Bridger-Teton National Forest.

“Mack had the vision and skills to effectively work within each agency’s constraints and overcome any obstacles to successfully complete fuels treatment projects for both agencies,” said IMR Fire Management Officer Michael Davin. “Mack is a great example of a service-first approach that is truly working.”

McFarland began working seasonally at Grand Teton in 1990 and became a permanent employee in 1996. During his tenure as the interagency fuels specialist, McFarland managed several large-scale projects: the multi-year Lower Gros Ventre Prescribed Fire and the Buffalo Valley Fuels Environmental Assessment, among others.

“On behalf of the Intermountain Region, I extend our thanks and appreciation to Mack McFarland for his dedication and commitment to the teamwork, integration and cooperation between the Bridger-Teton National Forest and Grand Teton National Park,” said IMR Director John Wessels. “His skills in 'leading by example' demonstrates a genuine interagency spirit.”

Williamson came to Bridger-Teton National Forest and Grand Teton National Park as the interagency fire planner and fire GIS specialist in 2008. She earned the fire achievement award for her significant GIS support and contributions in training for the IMR Wildland Fire and Aviation Management Program.

“Martha provided invaluable direction in creating hands-on training for National Parks Service fire personnel within the Wildland Fire Decision Support System,” said IMR Director John Wessels. “In addition, she participated in and provided direction for our regional fire geo-database. Martha works hard to find practical solutions to fire spatial analysis, risk assessment and solution development to better protect people, firefighters, and natural resources.”

The Intermountain Region of the National Park Service spans eight states from Montana to Texas, and includes 92 parks and national historic sites.

Teton Interagency Fire Managers Plan Spring Prescribed Fires

Teton Interagency firefighter uses
a drip torch to start a prescribed fire.

May 3, 2011

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Teton interagency fire managers plan to conduct several prescribed fires during the month of May. If weather conditions are conducive, fire managers for Grand Teton National Park and the North Zone of the Bridger-Teton National Forest will initiate the following projects:

• Lava Creek—this prescribed fire, primarily on the Bridger-Teton National Forest, contains 226-acres (including 20 acres in Grand Teton National Park) within the Buffalo Valley Fuels Management Project area. The location includes pockets of dead and down wood, continuous sagebrush, and some conifers within aspen stands. The project is designed to maintain or increase aspen coverage and reduce the potential for high-intensity fires.
• Shadow Mountain—this 46-acre prescribed fire is designed to reduce fuel in wildland areas adjacent to the Shadow Mountain residential development. In conjunction with a recently completed fuels reduction project, this burn will break up the continuity of sagebrush and increase the ability to control a wildfire before it reaches private structures. The prescribed burn will also reduce the risk to firefighters by reducing the potential for a high intensity fire. 
• Elbo West—this 48-acre project was developed in conjunction with a multi-stage restoration plan to convert 4,000 acres of pastureland back into native vegetation. The site is south of Teton Science School Road and north of Kelly. The project is also part of a joint Grand Teton National Park/National Elk Refuge management plan for bison and elk.
• Upper Palmer Creek—the Jackson Ranger District of the Bridger-Teton National Forest plans to implement this prescribed fire in early May, contingent upon weather and fuel conditions. Managers plan to include approximately 400 acres during this treatment, in an effort to rejuvenate aspen groves, reduce sagebrush fuels and increase defensible space around the community of Hoback Junction. This is the first step in implementing the larger Hoback Junction Fuels Reduction Project. Visitors to the area can expect temporary, short-term closures of the Palmer Creek Trail during burn implementation.
• Lower Gros Ventre—if suitable weather and fuel conditions exist after May 16, interagency crews will continue the Lower Gros Ventre Prescribed Fire, a project that began last summer. The target area is located north of Lower Slide Lake and Gros Ventre Road, south of the Ditch Creek drainage, and east of Grand Teton National Park. Fire managers will burn the remainder of a 17,000-acre area. Crews will use fire to create a mosaic pattern of burned and unburned vegetation which should increase the availability of wildlife forage and improve the diversity of vegetation on an important wildlife winter range. Crews will also use fire in select portions of aspen stands to remove conifers and rejuvenate aspen growth. No closures for the area are planned after May 16; however it may be necessary to apply a temporary closure for public safety at a later date.

Fire managers will proceed with prescribed fire ignitions when favorable weather and fire behavior conditions exist. Smoke will be visible the day of the burn, and may persist for several days, especially in mountain valleys during early the morning and evenings. Please use caution in the area of the fires and be aware that minimal restrictions may be implemented to allow for public and firefighter safety and fire equipment access.

For more detailed information, please go to www.tetonfires.com.

Grand Teton Begins Fall Pile Burning Operations

October 25, 2010
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With the recent snowfall and seasonal moisture, Teton Interagency fire personnel initiated pile burning operations at certain locations in Grand Teton National Park. Pile burning activities began today near the 4 Lazy F Ranch. Other primary target areas include Flagg Ranch, Shadow Mountain, Signal Mountain campground, Death Canyon Road, and the Murie Ranch in Moose, Wyoming.

The slash piles are located in and around developed areas where fire crews previously completed fuels reduction projects that involved the thinning and removal of lower limbs from trees and the removal of dead wood and brush from the forest floor.

The fuels reduction projects were designed to increase firefighter and public safety, reduce the risk of losing structures to a wildfire, and increase open spaces to help moderate fire behavior during a wildfire. Firefighters place the forest debris in tepee-shaped piles and let them cure for a year before burning them.

Smoke will be evident from these scheduled pile burns during the day of the operation. Please check http://www.tetonfires.com/ for updates on the pile burning activities in the coming days and weeks.

Death Canyon Trailhead Road to Reopen Thursday Morning

September 29, 2010
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The Death Canyon trailhead road and connector trail from the trailhead parking area to the Valley Trail will reopen at dawn on Thursday, Sept. 30. Fire managers on the Phelps Moraine Prescribed Fire request that people avoid the burned area adjacent to the trailhead due to safety concerns.

The two-acre test burn area still has some fire and heat in the duff and logs, as well as some charred snags and standing dead trees that may be unstable and ready to topple. The test fire area also has other hazards—such as burned out stump holes, loose rocks and logs—that make walking hazardous.

Fire managers decided to postpone burning the 84-acre unit after fire behavior during the test fire exceeded ecological objectives. The fire burned actively through the two acres in the test site, primarily due to unseasonably warm and dry weather. An engine crew will be monitoring the area for the next few days.

For more information on the Phelps Moraine Prescribed Fire or other wildland fires in the area, please log on to http://www.tetonfires.com/.

Phelps Moraine Prescribed Fire Postponed

September 27, 2010

Fire managers on the Phelps Moraine Prescribed Fire decided to postpone burning the 84-acre unit after fire behavior during a test fire exceeded ecological objectives. The fire burned actively through the 5-acre test site, primarily due to unseasonably warm, dry weather. The 45 firefighters assigned to the prescribed fire are remaining in place to keep the test fire within the established perimeter.

The prescribed fire project objectives are to reduce the amount of dead and down trees on the forest floor and to increase spacing between trees, which will reduce the chance of a future wildfire spreading toward developed areas.

“The test fire showed that at the upper end of the prescription—which is the predetermined weather and fuel conditions—the prescribed fire would consume more than our desired objectives,” said Burn Boss Deb Flowers. “We stopped igniting and will re-evaluate burning this unit when we have a cooler, damper weather window.”

Death Canyon Road and the Death Canyon Trail from the trailhead parking area to the Valley Trail junction will remain closed at least through Wednesday September 29. Please check www.tetonfires.com under prescribed fire for updates.

The Phelps Moraine Prescribed Fire, combined with the mechanical treatment completed in 2008, is designed to increase the buffer between a wildfire and developed areas. The primary fire management goal for Grand Teton National Park is to allow the natural process of fire to persist within the park while protecting lives and property. The intent of the Phelps Moraine prescribed fire project is to reduce burnable live and dead vegetation to give higher confidence and more flexibility for managers in response to naturally ignited fires.

Phelps Moraine Prescribed Fire Scheduled

Interagency firefighters completed fuels reduction work in 2008 

 along the Death Canyon Road and the Phelps Lake moraine area

September 23, 2010
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Teton Interagency fire personnel plan to implement an 84-acre prescribed fire in Grand Teton National Park near Phelps Lake moraine—in an area west of the Death Canyon Road and south of the White Grass Ranger Station—on Monday, September 27. The Phelps Moraine prescribed fire is planned to supplement a mechanical treatment project completed in 2008. Some temporary road and trail closures will be in place during the prescribed fire, including the Death Canyon Road and the Death Canyon Trail from the trailhead parking area to the Valley Trail junction. Please check for closures and updates at http://www.tetonfires.com/.

Teton Interagency fire managers plan extensively for prescribed fires, and make sure conditions remain within predetermined parameters throughout the burning process. Prescribed fires are implemented only when the target fuels and weather conditions are within prescription. In addition, several firefighters, as well as engines and helicopters, are typically assigned to conduct a prescribed fire and keep it within a project area. The Phelps Moraine project lies in a shaded and damp area that needed to dry out before a prescribed fire could be effective, which led to a late September operation.

Grand Teton National Park’s primary fire management goal is to allow the natural process of fire to persist within the park while protecting lives and property. The purpose of the Phelps Moraine prescribed fire project is to reduce burnable live and dead vegetation and provide more flexibility for fire managers in responding to naturally ignited fires in the area. Since 1960, eight wildfires have started in the Phelps Moraine area, however, none grew larger than a tenth acre. Fire managers chose to aggressively suppress those wildfires because of the potential threat for spread toward developed areas, including private residences. Those suppression efforts have allowed for a change in the fuel conditions over time.

The combined benefit of the prescribed fire and the previous mechanical treatment will allow for an increase buffer between a wildfire and developed areas, providing agency administrators with opportunities to allow fire to naturally affect the ecosystem in the future.

The Death Canyon Road will close Sunday evening, September 26, at 5 p.m. The road closure will be re-evaluated on Wednesday afternoon, and the road may reopen on Thursday or Friday. For updates on the road opening, please call Traci Weaver, Teton Interagency fire information officer, at 307.739.3692.

Fire Danger Rating Elevated to High

September 21, 2010
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Teton Interagency fire managers elevated the fire danger rating to “High” for both the Bridger-Teton National Forest and Grand Teton National Park as of Tuesday, September 21. Dry vegetation—combined with seasonable temperatures, low humidity and afternoon winds—has increased the potential for fire activity.

When determining fire danger ratings, fire managers use several indices such as the moisture content of grasses, shrubs and trees, the projected weather conditions (including temperatures and possible wind events), the ability of fire to spread after ignition, and the availability of firefighting resources across the country. A high fire danger rating means that fires can start easily and spread quickly.

Local residents and visitors alike should exercise an extra measure of caution and practice heightened fire safety at all times. Responsible steps include making sure that a campfire is thoroughly extinguished and cold to the touch before leaving a campsite.

Unattended or abandoned campfires can quickly escalate into wildfires. The fine for an abandoned campfire is $225, but campers can also be held liable for suppression costs if their campfire becomes a wildfire. Visitors should never leave a fire unattended, and should always prepare for the unexpected by having a water bucket and shovel on hand. This season in the Teton Interagency area, careless campers have left 104 campfires unattended.

Firefighters continue to work on several lightning-caused wildland fires in the Teton Interagency area, managing these for multiple objectives including the improvement of forage conditions for wildlife habitat and for the decrease of fuel build-up to reduce the potential of high-risk wildfires.

The Willow Draw Fire in the Buffalo District of the Bridger-Teton National Forest is .10 of an acre in size  and about 1/2 mile from the boundary of Grand Teton and the national forest. There are no trail or area closures at this time and smoke may be visible in the afternoon.

Fire personnel are patrolling the 4,422-acre Bull Fire. Firefighters and equipment may be added to meet objectives as fire activity increases, or scaled back during quiet periods of the fire. If windy and warmer weather continues, fire activity will become more visible from the road and trails in the area. While there are no closures in place, visitors to the area are reminded to use caution when traveling in the vicinity of the Bull Fire and be aware of high winds and the hazard of falling trees.

The Crystal  Fire, located in the Gros Ventre Wilderness in the Jackson Ranger District, near Crystal Slide and 1/2 mile from the Crystal Creek Trail, is 120 acres. Fire managers are staffing the fire for long-term management. The fire is spreading west and into the Hidden Basin area and backing slowly towards the Crystal Creek Trail. There are no trail or area closures at this time.

Teton Interagency firefighters are also managing several prescribed fires for resource benefits: the most active of which is the 3,530-acre Lower Gros Ventre Fire on the north of Slide Lake, south of the Ditch Creek drainage. While no formal closures are in place, visitors are asked to stay out of the Middle Fork of Ditch Creek until fire activity subsides, and to use caution in the vicinity of the fire.

To report a fire or smoke in either area, call Teton Interagency Dispatch Center at 307.739.3630. For more fire information, please visit the Web at http://gacc.nifc.gov/egbc/dispatch/wy-tdc/index.html or http://www.tetonfires.com/, or follow GrandTetonNPS or BridgerTetonNF on Twitter.

Hayfield Restoration Burn Planned

September 1, 2010 
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Teton Interagency fire personnel and Grand Teton National Park natural resource managers plan to burn the 42-acre Elbo West unit as soon as weather permits. The Elbo West unit is part of a 4,000-acre native rangeland restoration project in Grand Teton. The project involves a multistage effort to convert pasture land back to native vegetation as outlined in the 2007 Bison and Elk Management Plan for the National Elk Refuge and Grand Teton National Park.

The Elbo West was originally a 182-acre unit, but after park personnel discovered a sharp-tailed grouse lek (a mating arena) on the proposed site this spring, resource managers opted to leave the lek area undisturbed while the birds were in the vicinity. Instead, fire managers burned the Elbo East unit during the spring project and have also removed the lek area from the burn planned for this fall.

Located southwest of the Teton Science School-Ditch Creek Road, the Elbo West burn unit was an irrigated hayfield prior to the 1970s. Despite a decades-long recovery time, non-native grasses and a host of noxious weeds still dominate the area.

Firefighters will only ignite burn units when favorable weather and fire behavior conditions exist. Smoke will be evident during the day of the burn. Smoke from larger prescribed fires may persist for several days after, especially in mountain valleys during early morning and evening hours. Local residents and visitors should be aware that minimal traffic restrictions may occur during the burn for safety concerns and fire equipment access.

Grand Teton Offers Limited Firewood Permits

August 31, 2010
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For a second year, Grand Teton National Park will allow a limited number of firewood cords to be collected for personal use—by permit only—along Grassy Lake Road in the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway (JDR Parkway). Wood collection will begin on Friday, September 3 and end on October 11, 2010. Each permit will be limited to four cords of wood at a cost of $15.00 per cord. Firewood is limited to private, non-commercial use.

Permits to gather the available firewood will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis from the Permits Desk at the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center in Moose. This opportunity is possible as part of a hazard tree removal project along the Grassy Lake Road. In past years, wind storms toppled numerous trees onto the road creating a safety concern for motorists. Interagency fire personal cleared the hazard trees last year, leaving behind stacks of rounds and limbs. Anyone obtaining a firewood permit will simply need to cut the already downed trees into manageable lengths and remove the wood. Standing trees may not be sawed down.

In order to gather firewood, a Special Use Permit is required. This permit will specify the amount of wood permitted, and those who gather wood must have the authorized permit with them while on site. Guidelines and regulations for firewood collection will be issued along with the permit.

No motorized vehicles are permitted away from established roads in the JDR Parkway. Winches, cables or ropes cannot be used to drag wood to the road. Logs should be hauled by hand or a non-motorized wheeled cart.

Wood collectors will need to buck the wood into manageable lengths and the use of chainsaws is approved in the identified areas. A map of these areas will be issued along with the firewood permit.

For further information about this opportunity, please call Barbara Visnovske at 307.739.3431 during business hours.

Escaped Campfire on Elk Island Prompts Suppression Actions

Elk Island, the largest island on Jackson Lake,
 lies near the southwestern shoreline

August 27, 2010
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Teton Interagency firefighters initiated suppression actions on a new fire in Grand Teton National Park today, August 27. The tenth-acre Elk Fire was spotted at 6:49 a.m. Friday on the northwest tip of Elk Island, which is located in Jackson Lake. The island serves as a popular site for boat camping.

Law enforcement rangers located the boater that had camped at the site on Thursday night, and although he had a fire permit, he failed to properly extinguish his campfire before leaving the site Friday morning. High winds caused the fire to spot outside the rocky area below the high water mark where fires are permitted. The boater had changed his camping location about 2 a.m. because of the winds. He stated that he did not notice that the fire was still smoldering and therefore did not make attempts to extinguish it.

“It’s imperative that campers extinguish their fires before going to sleep at night,” North District Ranger Patrick Hattaway said. “Campfires should never be left unattended or abandoned. Campers need to make sure their campfire is cold to the touch before leaving a campsite.”

Hattaway said failure to properly extinguish a campfire has a minimum fine of $100, but can require a mandatory court appearance and a judge can require restitution for suppression costs and damages.

The Elk Fire is smoldering in grass and light timber. Three firefighters from Teton Interagency’s Engine 4 responded to the fire by taking a boat from Colter Bay to Elk Island. They expect to have the fire contained by 6 p.m. today.

The Teton Interagency dispatch area, which includes Grand Teton National Park and the Bridger-Teton National Forest, was in a Red Flag Warning on Thursday for critical fire weather because of high winds and low humidity.

Pilgrim Fire Ninety Percent Contained

Pilgrim Mountain obscured by smoke from the Pilgrim Fire

during Wednesday evening, August 4

August 6, 2010
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Teton Interagency firefighters and the Cedar City Hot Shot crew made significant progress in containing the Pilgrim Fire on Thursday, August 5. The Pilgrim Fire is currently 90 percent contained and remains at 13 acres in size. The fire, presumed to be lightning-caused, is located just north of the junction between Pilgrim Creek Road and Highway 89/287—about one mile east of the Colter Bay area.

With minimal fire activity and very little growth on the Pilgrim Fire, the Cedar City Hot Shot crew will be reassigned to other fires in the area. A squad of Teton Interagency firefighters and two fire engines will continue to extinguish hotspots and place line around the remaining fire perimeter.

The Pilgrim Creek Road has been reopened; however, visitors are advised that fire equipment and firefighters are still working in the area, so caution is advised.

The current fire danger rating is high. Vsitors are reminded to do their part to prevent human-caused fires by extinguishing campfires and properly disposing of smoking materials. For additional fire information, please visit http://www.tetonfires.com/.

Please visit the Teton Fires Wildland Fire webpage at http://gacc.nifc.gov/egbc/dispatch/wy-tdc/wildland-fires.html for full updates and a map.

Fire Prompts Closure of Pilgrim Creek Road

A Teton Interagency contract helicopter makes water bucket drops
on the Pilgrim Fire during Wednesday evening, August 4

August 5, 2010

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Teton Interagency firefighters responded to smoke reports late yesterday afternoon, August 4, in Grand Teton National Park. The Pilgrim Fire—which began about 5 p.m. on Wednesday—is currently 13 acres in size and burning in grass, sagebrush and light timber about a half mile east of the junction of the Pilgrim Creek Road and Highway 89/287, and about one mile from Colter Bay. The fire is presumed to be lightning-caused, but is still under investigation. Anyone who may have been in the vicinity of Pilgrim Creek with information about this fire is requested to phone the Teton Interagency fire-reporting line at 307.739.3630.

Wednesday evening, three wildland fire engines, a water tender, and two helicopters worked to suppress the south and west flanks of the fire, and to lay hose for water distribution around the perimeter of the fire.

Today, the Cedar City Hot Shot crew from Utah—on loan from the Bull Fire—will work with engine crews and Jackson Hole Fire/EMS personnel out of Moran to continue suppression efforts. Pilgrim Creek Road is temporarily closed due to suppression activities, but no other closures are in effect.

The current fire danger rating is high. Park visitors are reminded to do their part to prevent human-caused fires by carefully extinguishing campfires and properly disposing of smoking materials. For additional fire information, please visit http://www.tetonfires.com/.

Please visit the Teton Fires Wildland Fire webpage at http://gacc.nifc.gov/egbc/dispatch/wy-tdc/wildland-fires.html for full updates and a map.

Fire Danger Rating Elevated to High

July 20, 2010
10-55
Teton Interagency fire managers elevated the fire danger rating to “high” for Grand Teton National Park and the Bridger-Teton National Forest as of Tuesday, July 20. Drying and cured vegetation—combined with a rise in daily temperatures, lower humidity, and breezy afternoon winds—has increased the potential for fire activity in the region.

In other fire news, the Cathedral Group Fire in Grand Teton National Park was declared controlled as of Monday, July 19. The 46-acre fire will be monitored for hotspots until fire managers can declare it to be out.

When determining fire danger ratings, fire managers use several indices such as, the moisture content of grasses, shrubs and trees, projected weather conditions (including temperatures and possible wind events), the ability of fire to spread after ignition, and the availability of firefighting resources across the country. A high fire danger rating means that fires can start easily and spread quickly.

Local residents and visitors alike should exercise an extra measure of caution and practice heightened fire safety at all times—responsible steps include making sure that a campfire is thoroughly extinguished and cold to the touch before leaving a campsite.

Unattended or abandoned campfires can quickly escalate into wildfires. So far this summer, campers have carelessly abandoned 54 campfires in the Teton Interagency area. The fine for an abandoned campfire is significant, and campers can also be held liable for suppression costs if their campfire becomes a wildfire. Visitors should never leave a fire unattended, and should prepare for the unexpected by having a water bucket and shovel on hand.

To report a fire or smoke in either area, call Teton Interagency Dispatch Center at 307.739.3630. For more fire information, please visit the Web at http://gacc.nifc.gov/egbc/dispatch/wy-tdc/index.html or www.tetonfires.com, or follow GrandTetonNPS or BridgerTetonNF on Twitter.