There’s another fire in Shoshone National Forest that never should’ve started.
Forest officials confirmed that 4 smokejumpers responded to the Hudson Meadow Fire, in the Popo Agie Wilderness in the Washakie Ranger District, on Monday evening. They spent the next few hours clearing a fire line and monitoring the fire, which was contained to one-tenth of an acre by yesterday afternoon. The famous Shoshone National Forest mules will be used to get a packstring to the fire’s area and remove the smokejumpers’ supplies and tools.
Unlike with other wilderness fires this year, the cause of the Hudson Meadow Fire was immediate. And infuriating. The responders found an abandoned campfire on the scene, which has not been properly extinguished. Rather than being an anomaly, this is rapidly becoming the norm. More campfires are being found and many are improperly extinguished, which is an especially potent threat due to the increasing dryness of the area. The grasses and fuels in the Forest are extremely flammable at this point of the year. If the Hudson Meadow Fire hadn’t been caught immediately, it could’ve been disastrous.
Douse your fires with water. Stir that water into the dirt to make mud. Ensure it is cool enough to touch the back of your hand to the fire. Then, and only then, can you safely leave it behind.
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