Storms ignite Smurf House Fire, 2 others
By Cory Hatch, Jackson Hole, Wyo.
July 14, 2009
Storms that produced roughly 500 lightning strikes in a 24-hour period in Grand Teton National Park and Bridger-Teton National Forest have ignited three fires in the park.
The Falling Ice Fire, just west of Leigh Lake, is burning on about a tenth of an acre. Fire officials are considering whether to let it burn to benefit the ecosystem.
The other two fires, the Valley Fire and the Smurf House Fire, ignited close to structures near the Beaver Creek housing area and in Moran Junction. Firefighters contained both blazes at one-tenth of an acre.
The Box Creek Fire, which was discovered June 26 in the Teton Wilderness of Bridger-Teton National Forest, is still smoldering, officials said. The park is also managing the Snake Fire, which was burning a quarter acre near the Snake River north of the Teton Point turnout.
Firefighters have also responded to the Maki Creek Fire near Big Piney, which they say was likely human-caused.
Federal workers have detected 50 campfires that people have left unattended so far this summer, especially concerning as fuels in the region begin to dry out after a wet, rainy spring. On Wednesday, fire officials raised the fire danger from “low” to “moderate,” the second of five fire danger levels.
“With the fire danger increasing, it’s even more crucial that fires are cool to the touch,” said Traci Weaver, a fire spokeswoman for Grand Teton National Park.