Wyoming News Briefs

Silver Spoon Fire grows to 1700 acres in northern Campbell County

GILLETTE (WNE) — The Silver Spoon Fire north of Recluse has burned an estimated 1700 acres since starting Sunday morning.

The Campbell County Fire Department “made good progress” on the fire Sunday, according to a Facebook post, and at 6 p.m. Monday, Southwest Area Incident Management Team No. 5 took over the management of this fire, which is about 37 miles north of Gillette.

The same team is overseeing the Constitution and Flat Rock fires in Campbell County, as well as the House Draw Fire in Johnson County and Remington Fire in Sheridan County and Montana.

Sunday and Monday, firefighters attacked the Silver Spoon Fire from both the ground and the air with local resources and two hotshot crews from the Constitution Fire.

Southwest Area Incident Management Team No. 5 also provided updates Monday on the other four fires that it’s working:

• Flat Rock (52,421 acres, 78% contained): Suppression repair crews continue to make progress, working north to south on the fire. Monday, heavy equipment operators continued repairing firelines as crews scouted additional repair needs.

• Constitution (24,594 acres, 95% contained): Firefighters mopped up remaining heat sources within pine stringers Sunday. Monday, crews scouted for heat sources on the eastern edge of the fire, as heavy equipment operators repaired lines on the north and northwestern portions of the fire.

• House Draw (174,547 acres, 94% contained): There are few heat sources remaining on this fire. Monday, heavy equipment operators worked to complete repairs on the south side of I-90. Bulldozers and graders will also move north of the interstate, conducting repairs where needed.

• Remington (196,368 acres, 81% contained): Activity on this fire was limited to smoldering and creeping in the northern portion of the fire Sunday. Monday, equipment and hand crews continued line repair across the fire area.

Giant coffins in Sybille Canyon used in ‘zombie’ disease study

CASPER (WNE) — “Giant coffins” placed in Sybille Canyon are actually compost bins placed there by Wyoming Game and Fish to study chronic wasting disease.

The bins are placed outside of the Game and Fish Wildlife Research Center at Sybille, according to Game and Fish.

CWD is a chronic, fatal disease of the central nervous system that affects deer, elk and moose and is caused by abnormally folded proteins called prions. Late symptoms of the disease include weight loss, lethargy and drooling.

“A major challenge associated with the spread of CWD is the ability for prions to persist in the environment. This can lead to contamination of habitats for years, facilitating the spread of the disease to new individuals through ingestion of contaminated forage,” according to a press release from Game and Fish.

The “coffins” are studying the ability of the composting process to break down the prions that cause the disease. If the project is successful at reducing or eliminating CWD prions, it may provide another mechanism for disposal of CWD infected carcasses collected from the landscape or harvested by hunters, according to Game and Fish.

Carcasses infected with CWD that break down naturally in the environment contribute to habitat contamination so researchers are studying if “a more robust decomposition process” could help reduce the amount of CWD prions left behind by carcasses containing CWD.

Current means to dispose of infected animal carcasses include incineration or landfills.

“Composting creates a highly alkaline [high pH] environment that can lead to intense microbial activity and high temperatures,” Game and Fish research biologist Brie Hashem said. “Those conditions promote protein breakdown, so we think CWD prions could be degraded or eliminated through that process.”

The open-top bins were built in late May and contain temperature and moisture sensors that allow researchers to monitor composting conditions.

Governors urge Congress to reform wildfire management

CHEYENNE (WNE) — For many years, Western governors have worked together to develop and implement bipartisan policy that helps mitigate uncharacteristic wildfire.

On Wednesday, in correspondence with congressional leadership, the 20 governors represented in the Western Governors’ Association expressed their bipartisan support for several recommendations in the final report of the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission.

While not every individual Western governor may agree with every commission recommendation, the letter highlights select recommendations and their alignment with Western governors’ policy as it relates to pre-fire risk mitigation, active fire suppression, post-fire recovery and systemic reforms that affect every phase of the wildland fire management cycle.

With wildfires in the U.S. burning over 4.5 million acres since January 2024, nearly double the total area burned in 2023, the governors emphasized the urgency with which these reforms must be implemented.

“The wildfire crisis will not abate without congressional support for aggressive intervention,” the letter read. “The cost of inaction is unacceptable. …We must act now to prevent permanent, widespread loss of our nation’s most critical natural assets and the communities that depend upon them.”

Governor signs executive orders to help those affected by fires

CHEYENNE (WNE) — Gov. Mark Gordon signed two executive orders to assist agricultural producers impacted by the fires that have burned across northern Wyoming. The governor also renewed his commitment to support recovery efforts, including developing plans for thoughtful restoration of the landscape.

The first EO eases restrictions to transport loads of livestock feed and livestock, exempting motor carrier drivers from operating time requirements. The second EO lifts certain restrictions for vehicles transporting oversize and overweight loads of livestock feed and livestock.

“Fires like these are devastating for our producers,” Gordon said in a news release. “Many have lost pasture, feed, livestock and supplies. These EOs will allow assistance to flow more freely to those who need it, and we will continue to work on making additional resources available for recovery.”

As of Friday, the Remington Fire was 66% contained, the Constitution Fire was 80% contained, while the Flat Rock Fire was 78% contained, and the House Draw Fire was at 94% containment.

For the latest information on the fires, daily updates and additional information, visit the Southwest Area Incident Management Team #5 Facebook page. The governor’s executive orders can be found on the Executive Orders page of the governor’s website.

Sheridan residents pass the boot for fire relief

SHERIDAN (WNE) — The Aug. 29 North Main Association Farmers and Artisan Market at Whitney Commons included a fundraiser for those impacted by recent fires in Sheridan County.

During the market, organizers “filled the cowboy boots” to raise funds for local agricultural producers impacted by fires.

Funds raised — totaling around $2400 in the course of just two hours, with more slated to arrive by mail in the coming days — will go toward relief efforts for those affected by recent wildfires.

Seeing friends and neighbors in need inspired the fundraiser, Executive Director of the North Main Association Nancy Drummond said.

“We saw people in need, plus fire departments and those poor guys [firefighters], they just went above and beyond everything you can imagine,” Drummond said.

The funds will be distributed based on who needs it the most, including ranchers.

The Remington fire has blazed through 196,000 acres to date, much of that being ranchland and ranchers’ property. The fire has the potential to do even more damage as it was only 66% contained as of Friday morning.

For some, the Remington fire took out livestock, barns, corrals and farm equipment.

Up to $500 of the funds raised at the market will be matched by a donor, according to Knutson.

The Sheridan community is one like nowhere else, volunteer Bonnie Gregory said.

“One of the biggest blessings that come out of things like this is the awareness of how fortunate we are to live where we do. People come together to lift and support each other like nowhere else,” Gregory said. “Raising $2400 in two hours is fantastic, especially when the decision to fill the boot only happened a few days [prior to the event].”

Lummis slams Biden-Harris administration’s solar plan

CHEYENNE (WNE) — Senate Western Caucus Chair Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., on Friday issued the following statement after the Biden-Harris administration issued its updated solar plan, which makes 31 million acres throughout the West, including in Wyoming, available for solar development.

“The Biden-Harris administration is hellbent on destroying the western way of life by closing off access to public lands for oil and gas drilling, grazing, recreation and industries our states rely on to stay afloat, all in the name of climate extremism,” she said. “It is outrageous that this same administration that wants to greatly limit access for most industries on federal lands now wants to drastically increase the amount of land available for solar energy development.

“It is time for this administration to stop picking winners and losers and prioritize multiple use of federal lands, as is required under existing laws,” said Lummis.

The solar plan adds five additional states, including Wyoming, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Oregon, to the 2012 Obama-era Western Solar Plan. That plan prioritized solar development in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah.