Rawlins Field Office
| Contacts: | Serena Baker, | |||
| (307) 350-0448 |
Fire Spreading Through Popular Hunting Area
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) High Desert District Fire Dispatch at Rawlins is warning hunters of fire danger in the Red Rim Grizzly Wildlife Habitat Management Area due to a rapidly spreading blaze.
The fire started approximately 12:30 p.m. today on state lands northwest of McCarty Canyon Road south of Rawlins. The blaze is approximately 250 acres, is putting out a lot of smoke, and due extreme dry conditions is spreading quickly. Carbon County Fire, Baggs Volunteer Fire Department, BLM ground and air crews are responding. Nearly a dozen BLM smoke jumpers are on the scene. A second helicopter, heavy air tankers, and more fire engines are en route. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The public is encouraged to contact anyone they know who may be hunting, scouting, or camping in the area and warn them of the fire danger. For more information, contact Assistant Fire Management Officer Richard Putnam at (307) 352-0236.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.
Rawlins Field Office 1300 North Third PO Box 2407 Rawlins, WY 82301