High Desert District Office
| Contacts: | Shelley Gregory, | |||
| 307-315-0612 |
BLM Fighting Ferris Wildfire
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) High Desert District and Carbon County, Wyo. are fighting the Ferris wildfire approximately 30 miles northeast of Rawlins, Wyo.
The wildfire was first reported at 11 a.m. on July 27; the cause is under investigation.
The fire has burned an estimated 250 acres of grass, sagebrush, and mixed conifer trees with heavy pine beetle kill. It is located in very steep, rugged terrain on BLM lands within the Ferris Wilderness Study Area.
Resources on the wildfire include five interagency crews and one Type I helicopter. Due to the difficult terrain, the crews have moved to the base of Ferris Mountain and will conduct a flanking operation to prevent the fire from moving on to private property. The helicopter is being used to attack the head of the fire. Crews and equipment are being transitioned from the Seminoe Fire to help battle the blaze.
Fire activity is visible from Wyoming Highway 287 and motorists are advised not to drive into smoke obscured areas. The public is asked to use caution or avoid the area entirely as fire behavior can change suddenly and fire spread is unpredictable if high winds develop.
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 289 Hwy 191 N. Rock Springs, WY 82901