Snowy Range fire restrictions lifted

Fire restrictions have been rescinded on National Forest System lands within the Snowy Range, Medicine Bow National Forest, located in Albany and Carbon Counties.

Stage 1 restrictions remain in place for National Forest System lands within the Sierra Madre Range, Medicine Bow National Forest, located in Carbon County. The Sierra Madre unit is managed by the Brush Creek/Hayden Ranger District.

Fuel moisture levels remain low in the Sierra Madre Range, but have moderated in the Snowy Range. The U.S. Forest Service has coordinated with both counties on the timing of the recension in the Snowies and continued restrictions in the Sierra Madres.

Remaining restrictions are necessary to protect public health and safety, as well as natural resources.

The following prohibitions remain in effect in the Sierra Madre Range until further notice.

1. Building, maintaining, attending or using a fire, campfire or stove fire. This includes barbecues, grills, and portable braziers.

Except:

1. Building, maintaining, attending or using a fire in constructed, permanent fire pits or fire grates within developed recreation sites and the use of portable stoves, lanterns using gas, jellied petroleum, pressurized liquid fuel or a fully enclosed (sheepherder type) stove with a ¼” spark arrester type screen is permitted.

2. Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable material.

3. Operating a chainsaw without a USDA or SAE approved spark arrester properly installed and in effective working order, a chemical pressurized fire extinguisher with a minimum rating of 2A kept with the operator, and one round point shovel with an overall length of at least 35 inches readily available for use.

4. Welding or operating acetylene or other torch with open flame except in cleared areas of at least 10 feet in diameter and in possession of a chemical pressurized fire extinguisher with a minimum rating of at least 2A.

5. Using an explosive.

Forest staff will continue to monitor conditions to assess the need for further action, including additional restrictions if weather remains warm and dry and lessening restrictions if a wetter weather pattern develops.

Despite the lack of fire restrictions in the Snowy Range, Pole Mountain, and Laramie Peak units, Medicine Bow National Forest visitors are advised to use caution when building and maintaining campfires. Put your campfire dead out before leaving your campsite or going to sleep.

Additional fire safety messages from the U.S. Forest Service to Forest recreationists are below. Campers and other public land users need to follow basic fire safety rules:

Scrape back dead grass and forest materials from your campfire site.

Keep your campfire small and under control; make it only as big as you need it.

Keep a shovel and a water container nearby to douse escaped embers.

Do not park vehicles in tall dry grass, since hot tailpipes can cause fine fuels to catch on fire.

Remember that any ignition–cigarettes, campfires, gunfire, vehicles–could be the cause of a wildland fire, as grass and other vegetation is dry and extremely flammable.

Always follow current fire restrictions.

Fireworks are not allowed on federal lands.

To report a wildland fire on the Medicine Bow National Forest or Thunder Basin National Grassland, please call the Casper Interagency Dispatch Center, 800-295-9952.

For more Forest Service information contact the offices listed below, go to our website at https://fs.usda.gov/mbr, or follow the MBRTB on Twitter, @FS_MBRTB.

Laramie Ranger District

2468 Jackson Street

Laramie, WY

307-745-2300

Brush Creek/Hayden Ranger District

2171 Highway 130

Saratoga, WY

307-326-5258

Douglas Ranger District

2250 E. Richards Street

Douglas, WY

307-358-4690