August 2, 2024 |
Photo – 206 fire – Bigfoot99 file photo
Fire crews are beginning to get a handle on the two large fires burning in Carbon County.
Around three o’clock Monday afternoon, a fire was spotted near the Jack Creek area of the Medicine Bow National Forest. Carbon County firefighters joined forces with the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service to battle the blaze.
Speaking to Bigfoot99 yesterday afternoon, US Forest Service Public Affairs Officer Aaron Voos said firefighters appear to have the Jack Creek Fire under control.
On Thursday morning, Bigfoot99 reported seeing a Cheyenne Fire Department truck shortly after 6:00 a.m. heading west on County Road 500 toward tbe general direction of the Jack Creek Fire. Voos said he didn’t know exactly what Cheyenne firefighters were doing in Saratoga yesterday morning. However, the Forest Service public affairs officer said the truck may be relieving other firefighters or patrolling for hot spots.
Voos said investigators have not determined the cause of the Jack Creek Fire.
Another fire is burning in Carbon County this morning. On Tuesday evening, Carbon County Firefighters were called to the scene of a 15-acre brush fire located near milepost 206 on Interstate 80, west of Rawlins.
By Wednesday afternoon, after burning 90 acres of dry grassland, fire crews appeared to have the 206 Fire under control. However, that evening, high winds reignited the flames and caused the blaze to burn over 40 additional acres.
During a Thursday afternoon phone call, Carbon County Fire Warden John Rutherford told Bigfoot99 that crews were making progress on the fire west of Rawlins. Rutherford said fire crews had encircled the blaze and were mopping up any remaining smaller fires. The county fire warden reported that the 206 Fire appeared to be under control.
The 206 Fire was caused when a wheel assembly broke off a semi-truck traveling on the interstate and landed in the dry grass next to the roadway.
