West Laramie Gets the All-Clear After I-80 Grass Fire, But Lights Stay Out for Now

Wyoming News Now and Wyoming Public Media contributed to this report.

Residents in west Laramie are heading home after a tense evening as a grass fire near Interstate 80’s Exit 310 forced evacuations and a widespread power shutoff. The Albany County Sheriff’s Office says the blaze is now mostly contained and, in a bit of rare good wildfire news, no homes were lost and no one was hurt. Deputies had cleared a limited zone east of I-80 and west of the Laramie River, north of Curtis Street, asking people to leave as engines and law enforcement moved door-to-door to get everyone out quickly. The Albany County Fairgrounds at 3510 S. 3rd Street opened as an evacuation center while crews attacked the fire and utilities cut electricity to most of West Laramie to keep responders safe and reduce the risk of new ignitions.

By about 9 p.m., conditions had shifted in the community’s favor. A night of light winds helped firefighters pin the fire down, and only a small number of residents actually had to evacuate. Those neighbors were told they could return once crews finished clearing the area. The sheriff’s office called the outcome a blend of teamwork, rapid response, and a little luck, while reminding everyone how quickly a grass fire can escalate along a busy corridor like I-80.

Even with the evacuation lifted, the recovery will take a beat. The Love’s and Petro travel centers by the exit remain closed after nearby power towers were damaged, and electricity on the city’s west side will stay off until utility crews can safely inspect the lines. Officials continue to ask drivers and the curious to steer clear so firefighters and linemen can work without dodging traffic or crowds. If you’re traveling, there’s some relief: Wyoming 511 shows I-80 westbound open again near Exit 310, though anyone passing through should expect crews on the shoulders, slower speeds, and patches of smoke, especially late at night or early morning.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, and that work will ramp up once the last hot spots are mopped up. For now, firefighters are focused on tightening the lines and pushing containment toward 100 percent, walking fence lines, turning over smoldering debris, and checking for flare-ups as temperatures drop and humidity rises. County officials have thanked a long list of partners for the swift aid — volunteer firefighters, emergency management, Laramie Fire/EMS and Police, city street crews, the Wyoming Highway Patrol, and the county road and bridge team all converged quickly to keep a bad situation from becoming far worse.

If you’re back home in West Laramie tonight, plan on dark intersections and treat out signals like four-way stops. Give engines and utility trucks plenty of room, keep an eye out for hose lines and cones on side streets, and report any lingering smoke or embers rather than assuming someone else already has. For updates on power restoration, containment progress, and any lingering traffic changes, the Albany County Sheriff’s Office and Emergency Management Facebook pages remain the go-to sources. For the moment, the city can breathe a little easier: the fire is mostly down, the neighborhood is reopening, and crews are finishing the job under calmer skies.