High Desert District Office
| Contacts: | Serena Baker, | |||
| 307-212-0197 |
Aggressive Interagency Initial Attack Helps Control the Ponds Wildfire
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) High Desert District (HDD) and Carbon County Fire Department launched an aggressive initial attack on the Ponds Wildfire in the Shirley Mountains approximately 10 miles northeast of the Seminoe Reservoir in Carbon County, Wyo.
The fire was first reported at 2:37 p.m. on Aug. 10 and is believed to be caused by lightning. Initially, the BLM and Carbon County responded with one Type I helicopter, one Type III helicopter, one air attack plane, one single engine air tanker, a hotshot crew, and a Type V engine. The fire has burned an estimated 70 acres of mixed conifer timber on private land and is threatening public land. A private hunting cabin may also be in the path of the fire.
“This fire had a high potential for property loss, burning out of control, and growing very big,” says HDD Fire Management Officer Frank Keeler. “Light rain and our combined aggressive initial attack made all the difference.”
The blaze still has the potential for moderate to high spread due to dry grass, shrubs and trees in the area. Resources remaining to battle the blaze include the U.S. Forest Service’s Roosevelt Hotshot Crew based in Ft. Collins, Colo., and one Carbon County Type VI engine.
The public is advised to stay informed as fire behavior can change suddenly and fire spread is unpredictable if high winds develop. To report a wildfire, call the Rawlins Interagency Dispatch Center at 800-295-9953.
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.
High Desert District Office 280 Hwy 191 N. Rock Springs, WY 82901