Horse Fire Nears Historic Lookout in Western Wyoming’s Bridger-Teton National Forest
A wildfire burning in remote terrain in western Wyoming’s Bridger-Teton National Forest has approached within two miles of a historic fire lookout post on Prospect Peak, prompting fire crews to take protective measures, Cowboy State Daily reports.
The Horse Fire, which began Friday due to a lightning strike, has grown to nearly 1,000 acres and is approximately 6% contained as of Tuesday, according to the US Forest Service. Located about seven miles west of the small community of Merna, the fire is burning in rugged landscape filled with heavy downed timber and ash.
As a precaution, firefighters have wrapped the Prospect Peak Fire Lookout Cabin—a historic four-panel structure built in 1941—in an aluminized material designed to deflect radiant heat and embers.
“It looks like aluminum foil, but is much more technically superior,” reported the Bridger-Teton National Forest. “It is designed to deflect radiant heat and embers.”
The lookout, decommissioned by the Forest Service and added to the National Historic Lookout Register in 2022, is visible from the fire’s smoke plume. Although no longer in use for regular staffing, the site was historically manned during periods of high fire risk.
Currently, a Type 3 incident management team and 136 personnel are working to contain the Horse Fire. Ground crews are establishing fire lines along the western and northern perimeters, while aircraft are being deployed to slow the fire’s spread and aid in suppression efforts.
The initial firefighting response was temporarily hindered when a drone was seen flying over the fire area, forcing aerial operations to pause due to safety concerns.
Elsewhere in the forest, a smaller blaze known as the Ski Fire was reported Monday but quickly contained at just 0.2 acres. For now, the Horse Fire remains the only significant wildfire actively burning in the state, according to the US Forest Service’s InciWeb monitoring system.
Officials urge the public to remain vigilant, follow fire safety guidelines, and avoid flying drones near active wildfire zones.
