(LARAMIE, Wyo.) October 16, 2015 – Due to recent smoke visibility, the Laramie Ranger District is issuing increased public notification of a lightning-caused wildfire that is burning on the Pole Mountain unit.
The Browns Landing Fire is less than an acre in size and was reported on Oct. 1. It is located just south of Pole Mountain proper on the Medicine Bow National Forest in Albany County. The nearest trailhead is Headquarters East, which is approximately one mile east of the fire.
The fire has grown minimally in the past two weeks, through a variety of weather conditions. It is a naturally-occurring fire that has been identified as low risk. The current plan is for the fire to be naturally extinguished by a moisture event.
Occasional smoke may be visible from I-80, Wyoming Highway 210 (Happy Jack Highway), and surrounding areas. U.S. Forest Service fire crews have been monitoring the fire, and local authorities and cooperating agencies are aware of the situation.
A series of multi-use trails are northwest of the fire and signs have been placed at nearby recreation access points notifying the public of the fire. No trails, trailheads, facilities, or access to Pole Mountain have been closed.
Management action points have been established in all directions from the fire, so that if the fire increases in activity and moves significantly past designated perimeters, then suppression actions will be taken by fire crews to limit the growth and extinguish the fire.
“This is a naturally-occurring fire that has shown little growth for the two weeks and we do not expect any significant growth or changes,” said Laramie District Ranger Frank Romero. “We will continue to monitor and assess the situation daily.”
Fuels in the fire area are comprised of a mix of shrubs, sagebrush, grasses, aspen, and pine.
If increased fire activity is witnessed, the public is asked to call Casper Dispatch at 307-261-7691 or 800-295-9952.
For more information contact Ranger Romero at (307) 745-2337. You can also visit our website at http://fs.usda.gov/mbr, or follow the Medicine Bow National Forest on Twitter, @FS_MBRTB