Winds expand Cliff Creek fire acreage
Heavy winds and very dry conditions pushed the Cliff Creek fire near Bondurant, Wyoming an additional 1,500 acres Wednesday. The fire growth happened within the fire’s interior and containment lines are holding.
At a total 31,169 acres, the fire is now 84 percent contained.
A column of smoke that was visible from Grand Teton National Park was generated from a surface fire that made runs in the upper Mill and Dell Creeks of the Shoal Creek Wilderness Study area. The fire ran into the rocky slopes of the Gros Ventre Mountain Range and died out.
Lower Valley Energy is beginning to remove hazardous trees Thursday in Granite Creek. The utility hopes to restore power to the area by Friday. However, LVE said it would take several weeks of work to stabilize power in the drainage.
A mandatory evacuation order for the Granite Creek area, including Granite Lake campground, Granite Hot Springs, Jack Pine Summer Homes, and the Safari Club remains in effect.
Until significant snow falls in the area, firefighters said group and single tree torching in the fire’s interior will be uncommon. Those events will create visible smoke columns in Bondurant, Pinedale and Jackson.
