Roosevelt Fire now 85 percent contained
UPDATE:10/3/18 2:00 p.m. More rain is expected through Thursday on the Roosevelt forest fire near Bondurant.
The rain that started Tuesday led to significant progress on the fire.
At 61,511 acres, the fire is 85 percent contained. The number of personnel assigned to the fire was down to 299 Wednesday, including two hand crews, two helicopters, and 13 engines.
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ORIGINAL STORY:
Firefighters hope forecast rain will further reduce activity on the Roosevelt fire today. The entire fire area could see as much as three-quarters of an inch of rainfall.
The fire acreage is now estimated at 61,509 acres and the fire is 75 percent contained. The number of personnel on the fire has been reduced to 809.
A “Burned Area Emergency Response” (BEAR) team begins operations Tuesday to determine what special efforts may be needed to prevent further problems after the fire. Foremost, the loss of vegetation will expose soil to erosion which could lead to increased runoff which could cause flooding. Further, sediment may move downstream and create further damage. The BEAR team is charged with mitigating those dangers.
Activity Tuesday was expected to focus on patrols of the fire and mopping-up any hotspots. More firefighters and equipment are expected to be released through Wednesday. A local Type 3 Incident Management Team will take over command of the fire on Thursday.
The Bridger-Teton National Forest has reduced the size of the area closure. Cliff Creek Road is open, but the area south of the road is closed. The trail to Cliff Creek Pass and Horse Haven Meadows is open, but the area to the east and southeast of the trail is closed. North Horse Creek Road is open for public travel, but the area north of the road is closed.
Evacuation Zones 6 and 6.2 remain at a “GO” level. Zones 6.1 and 8 are at the “SET” level. All other zones have now been reduced to the “READY” level.
