GILLETTE, Wyo. – Firefighters on the line of the Short Draw Fire in northern Campbell County, Wyoming are expecting extreme fire activity due to hot, dry, and windy weather conditions.
Fire officials say over 20,000 acres burned last night and update mapping is taking place today.
There is no containment on the fire which is located in Northern Campbell County on the Montana border, with 2/3 of the fire on the Montana side. It is burning through grass, brush, and timber.
Wyoming and Montana fire crews, along with heavy equipment and aircraft, are involved in suppression efforts. A Type 3 Incident Management Team is coordinating the firefighting activities.
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The fire is expected to keep growing to the north with high winds forecasted this afternoon. Multiple structures have been lost, and damage assessments are ongoing.
Evacuation orders remain in place, and residents are urged to adhere to the orders. Difficult travel conditions are expected due to increased fire activity Thursday afternoon. The City of Gillette and the Town of Wright are not currently threatened by the fires. The evacuation area is the northern end of Campbell County near the Border Line Estates/Ranchettes.
High winds are expected due to thunderstorm cells to the west, with minimal precipitation forecasted. A Red Flag Warning is in place for Campbell County due to high temperatures, low relative humidity, and high winds.
Stage 1 fire restrictions are in place as the vegetation is highly susceptible to ignition. Please exercise extreme caution. The smoke in the area is from numerous wildfires burning in the region. Lightning did come through the area last night. We are anticipating additional wildfire starts today as it warms up.
The Short Draw Fire is currently under investigation.
