Red Canyon Fire Explodes Past 107,000 Acres, Evacuations Expand

What started as a late-summer wildfire near Thermopolis has turned into one of the largest blazes Wyoming has seen in years. The Red Canyon Fire, first reported on Aug. 13, has now scorched more than 107,000 acres — an area almost the size of Denver — and it’s still growing, Casper Star Tribune reports.

Strong winds and bone-dry rangeland sent the fire racing across ridges and creek bottoms over the weekend, torching grass and brush as it spread from Hot Springs County into the edges of Fremont and Washakie counties.

By Sunday night into Monday, the fire had grown another 20,000 acres, and by late Monday afternoon, estimates put it at another 16,000 on top of that. Officials say there are “numerous structures threatened,” but the exact number of homes under evacuation orders isn’t yet clear.

Most of the evacuations so far cover remote rural areas, though the fire remains only 11 miles east of Thermopolis. Crews are especially worried about flames possibly making a run down Bridger Creek toward the tiny community of Lysite, which is under an evacuation warning.

Gov. Mark Gordon declared a state of emergency Monday, opening the door for Wyoming National Guard support and unlocking federal funds. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) already approved aid to cover 75% of state firefighting costs.

A new management team — the Rocky Mountain Area Complex Incident Management Team 2 — officially took over operations Monday morning, a sign of just how complex the fire has become.

“This fire is threatening not just homes, but major infrastructure,” said public information officer Dakota Baker.

On the fire’s southern flank sits the Lost Cabin natural gas plant, where about 100 workers were still on site Monday afternoon. The plant handles some of the deepest gas wells in the US, producing a particularly toxic form of natural gas laced with hydrogen sulfide. Workers have been warned they may have to evacuate.

The Red Canyon Fire isn’t the only blaze burning in the Bighorn Basin. Crews are also battling:

• Spring Creek Fire near Ten Sleep — 3,575 acres, progress being made with 24-hour shifts.
• Sleeper Ranch Fire near Meeteetse — 18,046 acres, threatening sage grouse habitat and energy infrastructure.

While those fires are serious, neither has grown at the explosive pace of Red Canyon.

Firefighters are running into complications beyond the flames themselves. Officials say some residents have been taking “independent actions” to protect property, pulling resources away from the main fire fight. Others are flying drones over the blaze — a huge hazard because it grounds firefighting aircraft.

“If you fly, we can’t,” officials warned in a Monday update.

For now, roads like Buffalo Creek and Black Mountain remain closed. Crews are mopping up on the fire’s northern edge, while the southern front — closest to Lysite and the Lost Cabin plant — continues to burn hot.

With high winds, rough terrain, and plenty of dry fuel still on the ground, officials warn this fire is far from over.