Multiple fire departments respond to aid Hanna in fighting grassland fire
The fire outside Hanna has responses from fire departments throughout the county.
The first area to catch fire burned out on its own, but the flames continue to a small valley over this scorched hill.
The different fire departments can be seen converging on the fire outside the town of Hanna.
Hanna Fire Chief Tracy Fowler was in her truck just a little outside of Hanna when the call came over her radio that there was a fire burning outside of town on August 11. She turned around and went to the fire station.
The fire's smoke could be seen in town. The location was on a hill 2.7 miles from town heading on WY 291 near the old RAG mine site.
RAG International, a German coal mining company, were the last owners of the mines in Hanna before they closed and the land went to BLM (Bureau of Land Management).
"At this point, we haven't got the official report from the BLM on the determined cause," Fowler said. "It could have been dry lightning or a cow pie that caught fire. We didn't find any human contributing factors to it."
The fire eventually consumed 106 acres.
"We had the fire departments of Hanna, Elk Mountain, Saratoga, Encampment, Medicine Bow and McFadden respond," Fowler said. "We used all them and we got ahead of the fire and got it down before we had to use air attack."
Fowler said, initially, the helicopter to drop water was contacted, but they were able to get control of the fire and canceled the air service.
The wildfire was fed by an erratic windy day.
The first hill that caught fire basically burned itself out because the winds that were gusting to 30 mph calmed down. Fowler said the crews didn't put a lot of water on the area that first blazed up. Although that hill burned out by itself for the most part, the winds fanned a run of fire into a small valley.
"It went up the initial ridge and then came into the bowl area and then up and over the hill," Fowler said. "It started around 12:30 (p.m.) and lasted until 7:30 (p.m.). It burned about eight hours."
She said the crews didn't leave until all the hot spots on the edge of the fire were out.
"We spent a bit of time mopping up and cleaning to make sure any hot spots were out so it couldn't take off again. You really want to get the edges, especially the way the wind was blowing that day. The winds could have easily caused another run if a hot spot had taken off."
She said the winds were unpredictable that day.
"It calmed down after the fire first started, then it burned itself out, but then the winds picked up to 20-30 mph and the fire took again," Fowler said. "It was like that the whole time we were out there. That is why the edges were a priority to get cooled off."
Fowler was grateful for all the help from the different communities that sent their fire crews.
"Some were fighting the Ferris Mountain fire the same time we were fighting ours," Fowler said. "So to get the response that I did from the other communities, I am very grateful that I got the help. Very grateful."
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