Wind River/Bighorn Basin District
| Contacts: | Sarah Beckwith | |||
| 307-347-5207 |
BLM and Partners Fighting Sheep Park Wildfire
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Wind River/Bighorn Basin District, in coordination with Fremont County, U.S. Forest Service (USFS), Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), National Park Service and Wyoming State Forestry, is fighting the Sheep Park Wildfire on BLM-managed land, 9 miles south of Jeffrey City between WY State Highway 287/789 and I-80.
The Sheep Park Wildfire has burned an estimated 528 acres and is approximately 50% contained. It is being managed by Ryan Sundberg’s Type 3 Incident Management Team.
The wildfire, started by lightning on August 6, is burning in sagebrush, grass, and timber. Fire activity has included running, torching and short-range spot fires. Winds have been mostly calm. Structures threatened include private cabins, the historic Sparhawk Cabin and various communication site towers in the area. The highest priority is always firefighter safety and this fire is burning in a high-risk environment. Known hazards include mine shafts, gas and oil lines, and hydrogen sulfide (H2S).
Dispatched resources include engines from the BLM, USFS and Fremont County, hand crews, an initial attack squad, three interagency hotshot crews, three helicopters, single engine air tankers, and air attack. There are approximately 150 people working on the fire. “Good progress has been made with hand crews and air resources,” stated Incident Commander Sundberg.
Outdoor recreationists are urged to use caution or avoid the area entirely since fire behavior can change suddenly and fire spread is unpredictable if high winds develop. Please report all wildfires immediately to the Cody Interagency Dispatch Center at 1-800-295-9954 or to 911.
Sheep Park Wildfire updates can be found on BLM Wyoming’s Facebook and Twitter pages at www.facebook.com/BLMWyoming and twitter.com/BLMWyoming.
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. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. In Fiscal Year 2012, activities on public lands generated $4.6 billion in revenue, much of which was shared with the States where the activities occurred. In addition, public lands contributed more than $112 billion to the U.S. economy and helped support more than 500,000 jobs.
Wind River/Bighorn Basin District 101 South 23rd Worland, WY 82401