Lightning over the past 24 hours has started four new fires in the Teton Interagency Dispatch Area. All of those fires, so far have involved no more than 1/10 of an acre and are under active suppression.
According to the Teton Interagency Fire Center, two fires are located in Grand Teton National Park and two on the forest. They include the Fork Fire in front of the Buffalo Fork Ranger Station The strike was enough to ignite the deep duff under the trees and throw limbs down on the ground. Contractors working nearby extinguished the fire until wildland firefighters could respond and secure the scene.
The Cottonwood 2 fire involves a tree along the banks of Cottonwood Creek south of the Lupine Meadows trailhead area.It is also under full suppression.
The Turpin Fire is located near the Ditch Creek area of the Jackson Ranger District. Less than .10 acre in size and in heavy timber, the small fire is smoldering and creeping and has a low spread potential, The fire is currently staffed with two helicopter crew members and the local interagency helicopter is available to support with water drops as needed.
The fourth fire reported so far is the Sheep Fire which is on Sheep Mountain (also known as the Sleeping Indian). The fire is located in heavy timber, smoldering and creeping with low spread potential, due to the moisture received during the storms. The fire is staffed with local agency firefighters and will be under complete suppression fire response.
Due to the national fire activity level, limited resources and dry fuel condition’s, Teton Interagency Fire says all wildland fires are under a full suppression strategy with public and firefighter safety as the highest priority.
