No Hoses? No Problem. Wyoming Troopers Grab Snow Shovels to Stop Grass Fire

When flames started licking along US Highway 287 south of Laramie on Wednesday, Wyoming Highway Patrol troopers reached for the closest “firefighting” gear they had: snow shovels.

WHP says the blaze kicked off around 2:46 p.m. on Sept. 4 in Albany County and was burning along nearly 10 miles of roadside when troopers rolled up—first on scene. With no water trucks in sight yet, they did what they could: shoveling dirt onto the flames and cutting off the fire’s advance until fire crews arrived. They kept helping after firefighters took over.

“WHP troopers may not be full-time firefighters,” the patrol wrote on social media, “but that’s never stopped us before.”

The cause is still unknown, but WHP used the moment for a roadside PSA. Vehicle sparks—often from bad brakes or failing wheel bearings—can easily ignite dry grass. So can tossed cigarette butts (and yes, that’s citable). With late-summer fuels still crispy, small sparks can turn into long, fast-moving burns in a hurry.

Keep your rig in good repair, ditch the roadside smokes, and if you see a new start, call it in. The troopers will bring the shovels if they have to.

The original story by Nick Perkins for Cap City News.