Wildfire — Upper Green River Basin, Wyoming

2016-07-17 to 2016-07-31 · Upper Green River Basin, Wyoming

Wider weather episode

The Cliff Creek Wildfire quickly erupted on the afternoon of Sunday, July 17. Lightning-ignited the blaze on a mountain hillside northwest of Bondurant. Gusty wind quickly fanned the flames and allowed the fire to spread to over 2,000 acres by nightfall. The fire crossed US Highway 189/191 near the entrance to Hoback Canyon prompting the closure of the road and the evacuation of nearby residences and guest ranches. The fire grew by over 4,000 acres the following day in hot, dry conditions. By July 22, the fire was no longer a threat to homes and travelers and the closures and evacuation orders were lifted. However, the fire continued to spread rapidly east in the Bridger-Teton National Forest reaching 16,000 acres in size by July 26. On that date, the fire grew by almost 5,000 acres in hot, dry, and windy conditions. The fire had grown to nearly 30,000 acres by the end of July. Please see the August 2016 Storm Data publication for more information regarding the conclusion of this fire.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 654088. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.