Emergency responders were mobilized on Sunday, Aug. 17, to address a wildland fire in the Bar BC Ranch subdivision on West Gros Ventre Butte north of Jackson, according to an announcement by Teton County. At 2:52 p.m., a 911 caller reported that an aspen tree had been struck by lightning during a passing thunderstorm, resulting in an “active fire” in surrounding trees and vegetation. Teton County Sheriff’s Office, Jackson Hole Fire/EMS and Teton Interagency Fire all dispatched staff to the incident.
Sheriff’s deputies arrived at 3:05 p.m. and reported the fire was moving in the grass approximately 70 feet away from a structure. Firefighters arrived at 3:07 p.m. and began to establish a perimeter and to perform fire suppression efforts. They cut down several trees in the fire’s path. They succeeded in containing the fire by 3:42 p.m., and estimated the size of the blaze to be about 0.1 acres. A total of 22 firefighters responded.
“With ‘Very High Fire Danger,’ we are lucky that the fire started in an aspen grove,”
Jackson Hole Fire/EMS Deputy Chief Brian Coe said in the announcement. “This fuel type generally provides for slower fire growth.”
Stage 1 fire restrictions are in place across the county and on nearby public lands. “Even with some moisture, we are expecting hot and dry conditions to make containment of a wildland fire incredibly difficult,” Coe said. “We greatly appreciate residents and visitors adhering to the stage 1 fire restrictions to prevent human-caused fires from occurring.”
