Gordon: ‘Unprecedented’ fire season has consumed state’s firefighting budget
CASPER, Wyo. — Speaking to members of the media on several topics Thursday, Governor Mark Gordon said that the unprecedented amount of acreage burned by wildfires this season has consumed the state’s budget for fighting them.
“We have expended our entire firefighting biennium budget at this point,” Gordon said, noting that the state is now borrowing from a legislative stabilization reserve fund.
Gordon also worried that future fire seasons are going to be similar.
“I’m working with fellow governors to make sure that the [U.S.] Forest Service understands that is not as unique a year as we would like, and that we need to make sure we have the resources available under all circumstances,” Gordon said, adding he’s concerned the federal agency will be downgrading its investment in fighting the costly fires.
The Elk Fire at the edge of the Bighorn National Forest near Dayton and Ranchester has burned over 76,000 acres since it started almost two weeks ago. Overnight it crossed Big Goose Creek, which is the watershed for the city of Sheridan. Fire crews there had been preparing for the advance by clearing out burnable materials to diffuse the fire’s impact.
Water resources for Dayton and Ranchester are also impacted by the fires, and Gordon said the state Department of Environmental Quality is already evaluating the impacts.
Meanwhile, the Pack Trail Fire in the Bridger-Teton National Forest has burned over 67,000 acres since Sept. 15 and is 0% contained. Over 1,400 people are actively fighting those two fires.
Gordon said that the House Draw Fire earlier this summer became the second-biggest in the state’s history in a matter of days, ultimately burning almost 175,000 acres.
Lightning was the cause of the these fires, but others this year have been started by sparks from grinding equipment. He also said that firefighters scouting areas around the Elk Fire found two active, abandoned campfires. “Doing that now is an extraordinarily bad idea,” Gordon said.
Gordon said that statewide fire restrictions may be coming soon. Fire managers say this October has been unseasonably dry, and there’s little sign of significant moisture in the near future.
While firefighters are racing to contain the active fires and protect structures at risk, Gordon said the impacts of this fire season will be far-reaching and work will have to be done to mitigate the effects of ash and fire retardant in the water, relocate and rebuild miles of burnt fence and help ranchers cope with the loss of winter forage for their herds.
Resources for those affected are available here.