Fact Sheet 9/19/2012
Incident: Chall Creek Wildfire
Released: 9/19/2012
Summary: The Chall Creek fire began Sunday September 16, 2012 around 2:00 pm approximately 25 miles northwest of Daniel Junction, Wyoming. The cause is currently under investigation. There are approximately 246 personnel working on the fire including 23 fire engines, 4 helicopters, 2 dozers, 5 20-person hand crews, and 6 smokejumpers. The fire is under full suppression and being managed by a Type III Incident Management team.
Size: 400 acres
Objectives: Public and firefighter safety, provide structure protection to threatened homes, and keeping the fire confined between Thunder Road and Merna-North Beaver Road. Firefighters are containing the fire east of the western bulldozer line, south of the Rim, west of Thunder Road and north of Chall Creek.
Recent Events & Today: Structure protection continues for homes along Thunder Road and no homes have been lost. Dozers and the 20 person hand crews are working to construct and secure control lines. Crews are working on fire line to the south where a bulldozer line is being made. Burn out operations (burning of unburned vegetation adjacent to control lines) are underway to secure the west/northwest flank of the fire. Firefighters are starting the mop up process (insuring that the fire is completely out) in various locations, including near the threatened homes. Some fire is spotting to the north.
Evacuation Information: Evacuations are still in effect for Merna-North Beaver Road, Timberline Lodge, and the Siems Road. Jim Bridger Estates are under a pre-evacuation advisory and are not being evacuated at this time. Anyone with concerns about property in the area should call the Sublette County Sheriff's Office. Decisions to be allowed in are made on a case-by-case basis and are dependent on current fire activity.
Closures: The Sublette County Sheriff's Office has closed the Merna-North Beaver Road (County 115) at the junction of Siems Road (County 163). The Bridger-Teton National Forest temporary closure includes the following Forest Service roads; South Beaver Road (FS#10359), North Fork of Middle Beaver Road (FS#10143), and Coyote Gulch Spur Road (FS#10362).
Fire restrictions remain in place and the fire danger is Very High. Hunters and other campers should exercise extreme caution. For more information on this and other area fires visit www.tetonfires.com or www.inciweb.org.
