New “Willow Park” Fire Reported in Bighorn National Forest
Written by Andrew-Rossi on July 15, 2022
Nearly a year to the day since the Crater Ridge Fire was first sparked, smokejumpers and other personnel are on the scene of the Willow Creek Fire, which is small but not extinguished.
Bighorn National Forest reports a fire was detected late in the day on Thursday, July 14, 2022. The location is approximately 2.5 miles southeast of Willow Park Reservoir on the Powder River Ranger District.
The cause of the fire is currently unknown. Furthermore, the U.S. Forest Service has not said if the fire is (or when it is expected to be) extinguished.
Courtesy Bighorn National Forest
As of Friday, July 15, the fire is about one acre in size and is in the headwaters of Middle Rock Creek.
District resources have successfully hiked into the fire, and a load of smokejumpers out of West Yellowstone and the Wyoming State Helicopter is aiding their suppression efforts.
No additional information on the Willow Creek Fire is available at this time. However, as of Friday, the fire danger in Bighorn National Forest is High.
The Crater Ridge Fire began on July 17, 2021. That fire burned for nearly six months and consumed over 7,500 acres of Bighorn National Forest.
On Wednesday, July 13, the U.S. Forest Service reopened the Crater Ridge Fire area to the public. While the entire area is full of hazards – like burned trees and loose soil – the area and all roads are accessible for the first time since July 17, 2021.
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