Wildfire — Natrona County Lower Elevations, Wyoming

2006-08-12 to 2006-08-23 · Natrona County Lower Elevations, Wyoming

Wider weather episode

The Jackson Canyon Wildfire began shortly before noon on Saturday, August 12. The fire started in Jackson Canyon near Coal Mountain from a lightning strike. By Monday, August 14 the fire had spread to Casper Mountain and necessitated the evacuation of numerous homes and the closure of roads on the mountain. The fire spread to the north-facing slope of Casper Mountain early Tuesday, August 15 and threatened several subdivisions at the foot of the mountain. Additional evacuations and road closures occurred as the fire encroached on southwest Casper. The fire raged Wednesday and Thursday, August 16 and 17, as gusty southwest wind and low relative humidity were prevalent. A cold frontal passage Thursday evening brought northerly wind and relief from the low relative humidity. This helped firefighters gain the upper hand on the fire. By Sunday evening, August 20, roads to Casper Mountain were again opened and residents allowed to return home. The fire was contained and the incident management team demobilized by Wednesday morning, August 23. The fire consumed 11,756 acres of land, including seven cabins, one barn, and two outbuildings. Total cost of fighting the fire was estimated at $3.8 million.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5529574. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.