Fire Danger Remains High

While the weekend weather is shaping up to be excellent for outdoor recreation, the fire danger in the area is still considered high by area fire officials.  As such, the limited restrictions remain in place in the county, in the national park and on the national forest.  Bridger Teton National Forest Spokesperson Mary Cernicek says residents and visitors should not be fooled by the recent rain showers that have moved through the area.  Cernicek says the larger fuels take a lot longer to absorb the moisture and wetting rains just coat the top of the wood – and it might get your shoes wet in the grass but it’s still not the kind of moisture that gets absorbed enabling the forest to say there is a high enough moisture content to lessen the chance of wildfires starting and spreading.  Cernicek says the fire danger is constantly analyzed and the rating revised as warranted.  This week there were three lightning-caused fires doused on the northern end of Bridger Teton, while the 100-square-mile Fontenelle Fire and the 6500-acre Bear Cub Fire continue to burn on the forest and receive attention from wildland firefighters.