Wyoming State Office
| Contacts: | Cindy Wertz, (307) 775-6014 |
Fire Danger is High for the 4th of July
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) wants everyone to have an enjoyable 4th of July, but with fire danger high throughout the state, people need to be extremely cautious with fire while on public lands.
BLM Wyoming State Fire Management Officer Jeff Fedrizzi, said "The high temperatures, wind and low fuel moisture have created extreme fire conditions on the ground. It looks like it’s not going to improve for the rest of the summer."
Currently, all of the BLM offices have fire restrictions in place. Several national forests and many counties are also under fire restrictions. To receive up-to-date information on where fire restrictions are in effect, visit http://www.wy.blm.gov/wy_fire_restrictions.
BLM year-round fire restrictions include the following:
- Discharging or using any fireworks;
- Discharging a firearm using incendiary or tracer ammunition;
- Burning, igniting, or causing to burn any tire, wire, magnesium, or other hazardous or explosive material;
- Operating any off-road vehicle on public lands unless the vehicle is equipped with a properly installed spark arrester.
Also, it is important to follow these recommendations:
- Make sure campfires are "dead out."
- Travel and camp with a shovel, fire extinguisher, and ample water.
- Attempt to confine smoking within a vehicle or cleared area.
In an effort to get ahead of the curve with fire resources, BLM Wyoming applied for and received BLM National Severity Funding. This allows BLM to have additional resources stationed around the state in anticipation of fire starts. Additional engines, hand crews, air attack platforms, smoke jumpers, helicopters and air tankers have been available if needed.
So far, BLM has assisted on: Guernsey State Park Fire, Cato Fire, Otter Creek and Upper Bee Fire, Willow Creek Fire, Russell's Camp Fire, Oil Creek Fire, Fontenelle Fire, Arapaho Fire and the Squirrel Creek Fire.
For more information aobut ongoing large fires, go to http://www.inciweb.org/state/52.
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.
Wyoming State Office 5353 Yellowstone Road Cheyenne, WY 82009