Gem Lake Fire in Bighorn National Forest Fully Contained & Functionally Over

The full suppression response to the Gem Lake Fire is winding down, as the small wildfire is now 100% contained and no longer considered an active threat.

Bighorn National Forest is confident the Gem Lake Fire is “mostly in the rear mirror.” As of last Friday, all aerial resources and personnel have been released and are heading home.

Forest personnel first reported the Gem Lake Fire on July 14. The fire started after a tragic plane crash that killed two people.

A full suppression strategy was immediately deployed on the scene. Helicopters handled most of the firefighting, as the remote location made an on-the-ground response difficult.

Thanks to the quick response, the Gem Lake Fire was fully contained last week. Only 21 acres were burned.

Courtesy Bighorn National Forest

Aerial flights used infrared technology to locate the final hot spots of the Gem Lake Fire. Local crews will continue monitoring the fire, but the threat appears to be over.

Several agencies from across the nation mobilized to stop the fire. Their early effort prevented any significant growth and ensured the forest’s safety.

Responding agencies include the Gila National Forest Helitack crew, West Yellowstone smokejumpers, the Blacktooth and Black Hills Wildland Fire Modules, and the Wyoming State Helicopter.

The wetter weather further assisted firefighting efforts in the region through July.

The Gem Lake Fire remains the only wildfire of note in the Bighorn Basin this summer.