Monday, AUGUST 4, 2025|
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department has prohibited fires throughout southeastern Wyoming.
On Thursday, July 31st, Wyoming Game and Fish issued an immediate open fire ban for all state-administered land in Albany, Goshen, Laramie, Platte, and Carbon Counties.
Citing extreme fire danger, the state agency banned all fires in the 14 Wildlife Habitat Management Areas and 43 Public Access Areas within these five counties, including the parts of Saratoga Lake under Game and Fish management. The ban prohibits the building, maintaining, attending, or use of any fire, campfire, charcoal grill, coal or wood-burning stove. Additionally, smoking in the affected areas is prohibited, except within an enclosed vehicle or building. The ban also extends to fireworks, which are already illegal on Game and Fish-managed land.
While open flames and charcoal grills are prohibited, the restriction does not apply to gas grills, which may be used, provided they are accompanied by appropriate fire suppression equipment, such as fire extinguishers or water buckets. Welding is also allowed on Game and Fish land, but only within an area that has been cleared of flammable debris and with proper fire safety gear.
All gas-powered ATVs and motorcycles must be equipped with approved spark arrestors.
Game and Fish warns that wildfires can impact wildlife, agriculture, and recreation, and that affected areas may take years to recover. Fires also contribute to the spread of invasive plant life, such as cheatgrass. Many state-managed properties serve as winter range for big game and other wildlife, and fires may severely diminish the available winter forage.
The Wyoming Game and Fish Department urges all public land users to act as vigilant stewards and recreate responsibly.
For more information regarding the fire ban, please contact the Laramie Region Game and Fish Office at 745-4046.
