With smoke in the air once again in Jackson Hole, we are all reminded of the wild and volatile place that we call home and the feeling of helplessness that a large wildfire invokes.
On Sunday, July 17, at 2:30pm the Cliff Creek Fire was reported 5 miles north of Bondurant, WY.
Since the initial ignition, Granite Creek Road from Granite Creek Hot Springs to Highway 189/191 has been evacuated as well as Dell Creek, Cliff Creek and the Kozy Campground. A Type 2 Incident Management Team was ordered by the Bridger-Teton National Forest and arrived on the scene on Monday along with a team of almost 500 people, 18 engines, and a handful of firefighting helicopters and airplanes.
As of today, the fire is 0% contained and has grown to 7,671 acres. Route 191 will remain closed today (July 20, 2016).
Community meetings about the Cliff Creek Fire are scheduled for July 20 at the Bondurant School, July 21 at Hoback Fire Station #3, Hoback Junction, and July 22 at Pinedale Administration Building “Old Elementary School” in Pinedale. All meetings are at 6pm.
You can receive updates on the fire by checking the Wild Neighborhoods Facebook page and blog and sign up for alerts through Nixle by texting the word TETONCLIFFCR to 888777 to register.
A big thanks and huge appreciation goes out to the firefighters working hard and risking their lives to contain the blaze and keep our communities and us safe.
Even though we might feel helpless, the area fires are a reminder that we live in wildfire country here in Jackson Hole and that there are things that we can all do to prepare our homes and properties for wildfire. Visit wildneighborhoods.org to learn more.