Investigators seek help in solving Wyoming forest fire start

The U.S. Forest Service is seeking help in its investigation into who started a destructive fire in western Wyoming last year.

The Jackson Hole News & Guide reports that the Roosevelt Fire near Bondurant burned down more structures than any other wildfire in Wyoming history. It was started Sept. 14 or 15, the opening weekend of rifle season for deer hunting in the Wyoming Range.

Investigators determined the fire originated from an abandoned warming fire in the upper reaches of the Hoback River drainage. The fire ignited about three miles west of the Upper Hoback Trailhead on a steep timbered slope above the trail on the south side of the canyon.

It’s believed the fire starter may have used the location as a resting place.