Eastern Edge of Fool Creek Fire Holds While Fire
Incident: Fool Creek Wildland Fire Used for Resource Benefit
Released: 8/17/2007
Although the Fool Creek Fire made a significant run across Strawberry Creek to the northeast Friday afternoon, key areas on the eastern edge of the fire and at the Teton Pass Ski Area were still in good shape.
"We're doing very well in the lower part of the Teton River, at the ski area, and at the head of the Blackleaf drainage," said Buck Wickham, operations section chief for the Southwest Area Type 1 Team.
Work continues on about five miles of dozer line being constructed along the edge of an abandoned natural gas pipeline right-of-way in the Blackleaf Wildlife Management Area. That line will be used only if the fire burns out of the mountains.
Helicopters continued dropping water on a 20-acre area south of the North Fork Teton River Road near the Elko Campground, keeping that area within the firelines constructed there.
The fire was backing down to the North Fork Teton River Road in the area near the snowmobile parking lot. Engines were going to be stationed along the road Friday evening to prevent the fire from burning across the road.
The spot fires at the head of the Blackleaf drainage "hadn't grown an inch," Wickham said. Helicopters doused those fires Thursday.
Helicopters dropped additional retardant in the head of Nesbit Creek to slow burning in that area and at the very head of Waldron Creek, where a small area is burning.
The fire was active Friday in a number of areas, including:
The North Fork of the Teton River, burning north toward Bruce Creek
- Across Gateway Creek where the fire is positioned to make a significant run up Gateway Gorge toward the Sabado backcountry administrative cabin
- Strawberry Creek burning northeast toward Grimsley Creek
- Between Open and Seven-up creeks in an old burn near the Wrong Creek backcountry administrative cabin
