Terek Fire Closes Highway

An emergency road closure of Highway 31 between Manderson and Hyattville is in place due to a swift-moving wildfire.
The Terek fire was first reported to the Cody Bureau of Land Management dispatch center just after 11 p.m. Sunday. As of yesterday afternoon, the fire was at around 14,000 acres in size, but estimates just a few hours later showed that the fire had grown to about 47,000 acres.
Cindy Wertz, public affairs specialist with the Wyoming state office for the BLM, says that no structures had been threatened as of yesterday afternoon.

BLM officials say that four single engine air tankers, two heavy air tankers, three helicopters and two lead planes are currently working the fire. There is currently a no-fly-zone order in place, and residents are warned that flying drones in the area prevents aerial firefighting operations from taking place. Slurry air bomber assets have been called in and will be deployed to protect various residential and agriculture assets being threatened at this time.
Travelers in the area of the fire could find themselves rapidly and dangerously isolated because of the unpredictable fire pattern. Only local traffic checking in at the road blocks will be allowed to pass through after showing proof of land ownership, and other road closures of county roadways are currently in effect. Anyone not needing to travel this area needs to stay away for their own safety.
Hot temperatures and low relative humidity are driving fire activity, according to the BLM, and these weather conditions are expected to persist in the coming days. State, county and federal firefighters are working hard to check the growth of the fire. However, dry fuels and hot temperatures remain a challenge.