Marten Creek Fire Update - Sunday, September 23, 2018
by Bridger-Teton National Forest
September 23, 2018
Current Size: 5,602 acres
Containment: 7%
Resources: 376 personnel
Location: 13 miles east of Afton WY
Legal Description: Latitude: 42ᵒ 42’ 21" Longitude: 110ᵒ 40’ 45"
Cause: Human, Under Investigation
Public Information Officers will be present to answer questions at two locations from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm today:
• Greys River Ranger District, 671 North Washington Street, Afton, WY 83110
• Alpine Visitor Information Center, 121 US-89, Alpine, WY 83128
RED FLAG WARNING TODAY
High winds, low humidity, and higher temperatures create perfect conditions for a very large fire.
MARTIN CREEK FIRE: RED FLAG CONDITIONS TODAY and RESTRICTIONS ARE IN PLACE.
Be especially careful when recreating on your National Forest due to fire conditions. Follow Stage 1 restrictions and closure regulations.
Stage 1 Fire Restrictions allow fires on in approved fire pits, rings or grills in developed areas, and smoking is restricted to certain locations. Fire restrictions on the Bridger-Teton National Forest and Grand Teton National Park include: • Lighting, building, maintaining, attending or using a fire, campfire, barbecue or grill is allowed only at designated recreation sites such as established campgrounds or picnic areas. Use of portable stoves and lanterns using gas, jellied petroleum or pressurized liquid fuel, or use of a fully enclosed sheepherder type stove with a spark arrester screen is permitted. • Smoking is allowed only in an enclosed vehicle, building (unless otherwise prohibited), developed recreation site, or while in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials (i.e. parking lots, developed campsites, or locations surrounded by water). Basically it means no open fires except in designated forest service grills. For areas where fires are permitted, go to the Teton Interagency Fire web site at www.TetonFires.com.
As expected, yesterday’s Red Flag weather conditions created active and challenging fire behavior in all parts of the Marten Creek Fire. Firefighters held the fire within most containment lines on the west, south, and east. The fire crossed the lines in a few places, but firefighters quickly contained those small areas. Two new crews were flown into the east side, to increase the number of firefighters working there.
Today, Sunday, September 23, firefighters expect another day of active fire behavior. They will continue to extend and improve containment lines, and evaluate where containment lines can be built in the steep and rugged terrain to the north. Due to warm, dry, and windy conditions, a Red Flag warning is in effect until 8:00 pm today. This evening, a dry cold front will reduce temperatures and shift wind direction, but no rain is expected. As fire activity and wind direction change, air quality can also rapidly change. Be ready to take precautions if you or your family are sensitive to smoke.
FOREST CLOSURE: To protect firefighter and public safety, a portion of the Bridger-Teton National Forest around the Marten Creek Fire remains closed to public access. The official closure order can be read at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd596102.pdf
Big Game rifle and bow hunters displaced from the Marten Creek Fire can receive hunting updates at http://wgfd.wyo.gov/hunting For answers to specific questions, hunters can contact the Wyoming Game & Fish Department’s Jackson Regional Office by calling Gary Fralick at 307-730-2802 or James Hobbs at 307-885-3717.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Marten Creek Fire Public Information Line (8 am to 7 pm): 844-400-7569
Marten Creek Fire page on Inciweb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/6214/
Teton Interagency Fire Center: http://www.tetonfires.com
Bridger-Teton National Forest Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BridgerTetonNF
Environmental Protection Agency smoke information: https://www.epa.gov/air-research/smoke-ready-toolbox-wildfires
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