Here Are Important Tips How To Prevent Wyoming Wildfires

Smokey Bear has been the face of wildfire prevention since 1944, when the USDA Forest Service worked with the AD Council to make up a fictional bear to be the face of fire prevention. A few years later, the phrase we've heard our whole lives was born.

Only YOU can prevent wildfires.

2024 was a rough fire year in Wyoming, with 2,167 fires burning over 850,400 acres.

• Remington Fire: Over 196,000
• House Fire: over 170,000 acres
• Elk Fire: over 98,000 acres
• Flat Rock Fire: Over 52,000 acres
• Pleasant Valley Fire: Over 28,000

These fires impacted the way of life for families, livestock, and wildlife. Wildlife was forced to relocate into unfamiliar areas and out of their winter feed grounds, and some hunting seasons were closed due to a lack of access.

Ranchers and farmers lost livestock, pastures, and hay supplies and were forced to transport their livestock to other areas.

Sure, we can't prevent lightning strikes from causing fires, but there are things we CAN do to help prevent wildfires. Use some common sense in your friend in many potential fire-spreading situations.

For instance:

• Don't burn on windy days.
• Use proper steps to extinguish campfires.
• Keep an eye on burn warnings in your area.
• Don't park your hot vehicle on dry grass.
• Keep firefighting equipment close to you when working in dry, hot, and windy conditions.
• When pulling a trailer, ensure your safety chains are not dragging on the ground; a tiny spark from the chain can cause a fire in dry grass.