Fontenelle Fire Now 28,579 Acres

Active burning on the 28,579-acre Fontenelle Fire on the southern end of Bridger Teton National Forest put up a plume of smoke clearly visible from the town of Jackson, and led to a significant run to the north.  Fire Information Officer Brandon Hampton says the run began about 4:00 pm Thursday.  He says it ran for about two to three miles which he adds is a fairly extensive run.  He says the behavior seen is not typical for this time of year in the Wyoming area.   Hampton says the smoke plume topped out at about 20-thousand feet.  Continued heavy smoke has prevented a reassessment of the acreage involved.  A Type 1 team is taking over fire operations today, and with it Hampton says come increased resources.  Currently, there are 223 people assigned to the fire.  Resources include 10 wildland engines, four helicopters, one bulldozer and five 20-person crews. Hampton says the objectives for Friday include finding an anchor point and begin flanking the fire from there, and protect the Middle Piney summer home area.  Hampton says Pinedale is likely to continue to be blanketed in smoke for at least the next three or four days until the wind direction shifts.