Tuesday, AUGUST 19, 2025 |
Photo – Governor Mark Gordon – Courtesy State of Wyoming
Governor Mark Gordon issued an Executive Order on Monday declaring an emergency in response to multiple fires currently burning in Wyoming. The E.O. will help the state access additional federal firefighting resources.
It also directs the Office of Homeland Security to take action to coordinate state and federal resources in response to the fires. The order also authorizes the Wyoming National Guard’s Adjutant General to activate National Guard to provide support as needed.
“Wildfires in Wyoming are creating significant impacts on our communities and threatening lives and property,” Governor Gordon said, adding that state resources will be available as needed.
As of Monday, the Red Canyon Fire has burned more than 95,000 acres, in Hot Springs, Washakie and Fremont Counties. Lightning ignited the fire on August 13. The Rocky Mountain Area Complex Incident Management Team Two (RMCIMT 2) has assumed management of the fire.
Multiple evacuation orders have been issued.
In addition to the Red Canyon Fire, the Spring Creek Fire near Ten Sleep has burned more than 3,500 acres and the Sleeper Ranch Fire near Meteetse has burned more than 20,000 acres. Both fires continue to threaten private and public property.
On Friday, FEMA approved Wyoming’s request for a federal Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) and authorized the use of federal funds to help with firefighting costs for the Red Canyon fire. The authorization makes FEMA funding available to pay 75 percent of the state’s eligible firefighting costs under an approved grant for managing, mitigating and controlling designated fires. These grants do not provide assistance to individual home or business owners and do not cover other infrastructure damage caused by the fire.
