Eastern Edge of Fool Creek Fire Still Holding As F
Incident: Fool Creek Wildland Fire Used for Resource Benefit
Released: 8/18/2007
The eastern edge of the Fool Creek fire was holding Saturday afternoon as three columns rose above the fire in drainages to the west and north.
The fire burned most actively in the following areas:
- Past Slideout Peak into the headwaters of Grimsley Creek to the Gateway Gorge
- Toward Signal Mountain from the South Fork of Open
Creek northwest of the Forest Service's Wrong Creek backcountry administrative cabin - North toward Bruce Creek and Fright Creek in the North Fork of the Teton River drainage
Forest Service crews staying at the Gooseberry and Sabado backcountry administrative cabins started pumps to run sprinklers intended to protect the cabins before leaving for safe areas.
Buck Wickham, operations section chief for the Southwest Area Type 1 Team, said he was flying over a dozer line under construction early Saturday afternoon when he spotted a new fire that started along a road about three miles east of the forest boundary south of the Blackleaf Wildlife Management Area.
A helicopter that was heading to Nesbit Creek with a load of retardant turned around and dropped its load on the fire, Wickham said. The Teton County Volunteer Fire Department responded as well. The fire was put out before it had a chance to grow larger than a tenth of an acre, he said.
No smoke was rising from the two spot fires at the head of the Blackleaf drainage, Wickham said. Those fires were doused by helicopter water drops Thursday.
Helicopters dropped retardant on a new spot fire in Nesbit Creek, an area that has been of special concern because fire there might spread into the head of Waldron Creek.
The fire has been burning down to the Teton River Road in several areas, which is good, Wickham said, because the road can serve as an effective line if no unburned trees are between it and areas that have already been burned.
Saturday's red flag warning for gusty erratic winds has been extended through Sunday, which could cause the Fool Creek fire to continue burning actively then.
