Monday’s suppression activities on the Russell’s Camp Fire went well. Crews continued to hold and patrol areas where previous shifts had completed burn out operations. Cooler temperatures and windy conditions did not hamper fire operations.

A late afternoon thunder storm brought strong winds and rain to the Incident Command Post (ICP) location, however little to no moisture was received on the fire. Lightning was observed and aviation assets were temporarily halted.

Red Flag Warnings are in place again today through Wednesday. A stationary front is over the area due to a high pressure and low pressure front. Strong winds from the southwest will be increasing throughout the day peaking at 30-40 miles per hour (mph) with gusts up to 45 mph. There is a slight chance of thunderstorms late in the day.

Gusting, swirling winds today are anticipated to test all containment lines. Increased fire behavior is expected today with the hot, dry, windy weather returning. With the increased winds snags[i] and rolling debris continue to be a safety concern.

Incident Overview

Size: Estimated at 5,465 acres.

Containment: 35%

Location: Southwest corner of Converse County, just north of Albany County, 32 miles south of Glenrock, Wyoming. North and west of Cold Springs Road (Converse County Road 24), and Little Medicine Road in Albany County. Northwest of Campbell Creek Campground and Twin Peaks Trailhead. The fire has burned north over Buffalo Peak, south of Squaw Mountain and west to East Box Elder Creek.

Terrain: Very rugged.

Land ownership: Burning on the Medicine Bow National Forest, state and private lands.

Resources: 16 hand crews, 30engines, four Type I, one Type II and two Type III helicopters, bulldozers and a road grader are working in direct attack, line construction or structure protection.

Structures threatened: Homes and cabins along Cold Springs Road.

Direction: Growth on Saturday was on the north/northeast side in Division L. A new Divsion N was created east of L.

Cause: Under investigation: A fire investigator is on scene however fire activity has not made it safe or possible to get in to complete the investigation.

Reported: Mid-day Sunday, June 17.

Fuels: Primarily mixed conifer.

EVACUATIONS: Residents of houses/cabins along County Road 24, Cold Springs Road, between the Albany/Converse County line to the south and the intersection with Fetterman Road to the north were requested to voluntarily evacuate. This includes the Meadow Creek area. An evacuation center was available at the Recreation Center in Douglas, Wyoming. Sheriff's Deputies went door-to-door and called residents in the evacuation area. Call the Converse County Sheriff's Department in Glenrock (307-436-2778) or Douglas (307-358-4700) with questions.

Closures:

- Cold Springs Rd (Little Medicine Road), from the junction with Fetterman Road south to the Converse-Albany County line.

- Russell's Camp Rd, NSFR 607

- La Prele Guard Station

- Campbell Creek Campground

- Twin Peaks Trail, #618

Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team B, a Type II team, Incident Commander Todd Pechota, took management responsibility for the fire Tuesday morning, working closely with local government and agency offices. County, state and federal firefighting resources from several states and agencies are cooperating.

Information updates: Can be found on Twitter at @MBRNFsTBNG, @RMIMT2 TeamB, @WyoStForestry, hashtag #RussellsCampFire.

 

 

More From My Country 95.5