Horse Fire Marks Start of Wyoming’s 2025 Wildfire Season in Sublette County

Wyoming’s 2025 wildfire season began with the Horse Fire, a lightning-caused blaze first reported the morning of Friday, June 13, in Sublette County, Wyoming Public Media reports.

Located roughly 35 miles west of Pinedale, the fire had grown to approximately 900 acres by midday on June 16, according to officials.

The blaze ignited at about 8,500 feet elevation in heavy timber within the Wyoming Range, an area that had experienced several strong lightning storms earlier in the week. Despite a low fire danger rating at the time, conditions in the forest were conducive to ignition.

“ The conifers that haven’t really come out of their dormant state yet to start taking on water actually were ripe for that lightning strike and the fire started,” said Mary Cernicek, Public Information Officer for the Bridger-Teton National Forest.

As of Monday afternoon, the fire was 6% contained. Containment means that fire crews have established a line around a portion of the fire that they do not expect it to cross.

Infrared flight data from Sunday evening indicated the fire was spreading north and east. Eighty-two personnel are currently assigned to the incident, including hotshot crews, helicopters, and other firefighting resources. A Type 3 Incident Management Team assumed command of operations on Sunday morning.

“We’ve been able to get everything that we asked for to continue to work on fully suppressing this fire,” Cernicek said.

Efforts to control the fire were briefly interrupted Saturday when an unauthorized drone was flown over the fire area. Cernicek emphasized that such interference can be dangerous, as drones can collide with low-flying aircraft or be pulled into engines or rotors, risking accidents.

The US Forest Service and the Department of Agriculture remind the public that flying drones near wildfires is illegal and hazardous, even if no formal flight restrictions are in place.

As of Monday, no evacuation orders had been issued, but road and trail closures are in effect in the affected area. The fire danger rating has since been raised to “moderate” for the Wind River Range, Tetons, and Wyoming Range.

The Horse Fire is being actively managed with a full suppression strategy as Wyoming enters what could be another active summer fire season.