Despite heavy rains last month, the Shosho National Forest dried up to light a small fire after a lightning strike near the main Joseph Scenic Highway.
On Wednesday evening, a new fire was reported near Coral Creek, south of Crandala, and on the main Joseph Snick Highway. Volcano National Forest Motor and Park County Volunteers responded to the fire and found a lightning strike.
Considering the location of the fire, the two workers entered the ¼-acre fire and formed a line around the fire last night. There, lightning struck a tree.
On Thursday, crews removed the remaining heat from the fire area.
This is the first wildfire to be reported in Shoshon National Forest during the summer.
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At the southern tip of the Shosho National Forest, fires are already high.
Moisture levels in the Shosho National Forest have increased this week, as moisture levels in plants have begun to decline. The fire at the northern end of the forest has increased to “moderate”.
“As fire managers, we look at a number of factors to determine the appropriate fire level,” said Brian Cresto, Soshon National Forest Fire Protection Officer. “We assess the moisture content of grasses, shrubs and trees, as well as dead and fallen plants.
Large fires will have an InciWeb event page with regular updates on size and condition. However, since this fire was so small and fast-moving, it cannot be said that it could not be heard.
Many areas of Shoshone National Forest were closed due to severe flooding in mid-June.
For more information, please visit the Shosho National Forest website, follow us on Twitter (@ShoshoneNF), or like and follow us on Facebook.
