June Fire Winding Down | Big Horn Basin Media

June Fire Winding Down

Written by on July 27, 2017

The worst may be over for the June Fire.
As of 6 a.m. today the Incident Management Team that had been overseeing fire operations turned over operations to a local Type 4 organization, as the fire is 70% contained. The rain that fell on the fire the last couple of days assisted crews with reaching this level of containment.
Fire officials say there are areas on the fire that continue to hold heat in the heavier concentrations of vegetation with smoldering and creeping fire behavior, but sparse vegetation and other natural barriers continue to limit the fire’s growth to the south.
Better mapping has given fire managers a clearer picture of the total area burned, reducing the total acreage to 1618, with the perimeter of the fire stretching 12.4 miles. That includes indirect handline in the Elk Fork drainage and direct handline around the 5-acre spot fire outside the perimeter on the northeastern corner.
According to Shoshone National Forest officials, the area closure associated with the June Fire has been lifted – Elk Fork Trail and Campground and Blackwater Trail are officially open.
At its peak, the June Fire drew 276 people to the region to help battle the blaze, with fire fighters coming from as close as Wapiti and as far away as Alaska and Maine. As of this morning, only 128 people remain to keep the fire in check.


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