Fast-drying vegetation, unseasonably warm temperatures and a crush of tourists have convinced Teton Interagency Fire officials to elevate the fire danger to “high” weeks earlier than normal.
A high summertime fire danger is life as usual in the wildfire-adapted Northern Rockies. But typically, the designation wouldn’t come until a week or so into July.
“We’re about three weeks ahead right now,” Bridger-Teton National Forest wildfire specialist Andy Norman told the Jackson Hole Daily. “The last two weeks have been very dry, and the fire danger has increased very dramatically.”
In fact, conditions Monday were drier within Teton Interagency Fire’s district than during any other June 14 on record. That’s according to a measure called an “energy release component” that gauges the aridity and availability of vegetation averaged across three monitoring stations on the forest, Norman said.
Western Wyoming has mostly avoided large wildfires so far in 2021, although just across the Montana border near Red Lodge the Robertson Draw Fire has been tearing across the Gallatin National Forest and lower-elevation plains (see story on page 6).
Jackson Hole has lacked rain since May 23, and no significant precipitation is forecast for the next 10 days. But on the plus side, Norman said, especially volatile grasses and sagebrush are still mostly green. Once they cure out and brown, he said, that will change the equation, increasing the risk of wildfire more yet.
There are no campfire restrictions to date in the fire district, which includes the Bridger-Teton, Grand Teton National Park and National Elk Refuge. Those decisions are based on the fire danger, human-caused risk and the availability of firefighting resources.
More people means a higher chance of wildfire, and right now Jackson Hole is grappling with unprecedented early-June crowding and a high interest in camping.
“The number of humans in the woods is incredible,” Norman said. “It is very, very high right now.”
"danger" - Google News
June 17, 2021 at 05:30PM
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Fire danger 'high,' and it's only mid-June - Jackson Hole News&Guide
"danger" - Google News
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