Thunder Basin National Grassland
2468 Jackson Street

Laramie, WY 82070
307-745-2300
www.fs.usda.gov/mbr

 News Release

Media Contact: Aaron Voos

307-745-2323
aaron.voos@usda.gov

Fire danger still exists on National Forests and Grassland, campfires need extinguished

(LARAMIE, Wyo.)  July 3, 2019 – Despite snow still lingering at higher elevations and a wet start to summer, National Forest and Grassland visitors, particularly campers, are advised to use caution when building and maintaining campfires.

Always make sure that campfires are thoroughly extinguished before leaving a fire unattended.  This is effectively done by stirring coals and other burned materials with water until cool. Even if your fire is a relatively small fire, the fire should be dead out before you leave the site.

Fire personnel on the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland (MBRTB) have responded recently to multiple unattended or escaped campfires which were not fully extinguished and required attention.

Should warm, dry, or windy conditions align with receptive fuels, the potential for wildfire development and growth exists, even though this year has not yet been an active wildfire season. Some of the largest wildfires on the MBRTB over the last several years, such as Beaver Creek and Badger Creek, started early in the year not too long after snowmelt and when perception was that fire danger was low.

Over the July 4^th holiday, Forest visitors are reminded that fireworks are never allowed on federal lands.

Additional fire safety messages from the USDA Forest Service to recreationists are below. Campers and other public land users need to follow basic fire safety rules:

• Scrape back dead grass and forest materials from your campfire site.
• Keep your campfire small and under control; make it only as big as you need it.
• Keep a shovel and a water container nearby to douse escaped embers.
• Do not park vehicles in tall dry grass, since hot tailpipes can cause fine fuels to catch on fire.
• Remember that any ignition – cigarettes, campfires, gunfire, vehicles – could be the cause of a wildland fire. Grass and other vegetation can dry quickly and is extremely flammable.
• Always follow current fire restrictions.

To report a wildland fire, please call the interagency dispatch centers below:

• Routt National Forest: Craig Dispatch Center, (970) 826-5037
• Medicine Bow National Forest, Thunder Basin National Grassland: Casper Dispatch, (800) 295-9952

For more information contact your local Forest Service Office, go to our website at fs.usda.gov/mbr, or follow the MBRTB on Twitter, @FS_MBRTB.

-USDA-

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