Big Horn County has escaped major wildfire, but not dry conditions

As Big Horn County nears the end of its typical summer fire season in an abnormally dry state, fire warden Brent Godfrey was thankful to have escaped some of the lightning-caused wildfires that have blanketed surrounding counties but cautioned that dry conditions are still present. 

Godfrey reported Big Horn County has received 34 fire calls so far this season, 14 of which were wildland fires. This slightly exceeds last year’s total of 23.

“Knock on wood, but we have been blessed with not many lightning strikes,” he said. One lightning-caused fire at the mouth of Allen Draw in the Bighorn National Forest August 30 was quickly snuffed, he said. 

Gov. Mark Gordon issued an executive order declaring a fire emergency in mid-August, which resulted in Wyoming’s eligibility for FEMA funds to cover 75% of applicable firefighting costs. The BLM Wind River/Bighorn Basin District issued Stage I fire restrictions at the end of July, and Washakie County and Hot Springs County implemented their own restrictions following wildfires in their jurisdictions. 

Neighboring Big Horn County, lighting ignited the Vees Fire southeast of Ten Sleep on BLM and private lands in Washakie County on July 26. The wildfire burned more than 5,000 acres and was reported 98% contained as of August 7, with low remaining activity expected to require significant rainfall before monitoring ceased.  Ten Sleep’s Spring Creek Fire, which burned 3,600 acres, was also lightning started. It was announced 100% contained on August 31.

The Sleeper Ranch Fire near Meeteetse in Park County burned 20,657 acres in August.

The priciest and widest-reaching fire in the area this summer has been Hot Spring County’s Red Canyon Fire, burning more than 126,000 acres and costing $15,720,862, according to National Interagency Fire Center data.

Close to home, the Dry Head Fire in the Bighorn Canyon National Recreational Area in Montana, also the result of a lightning strike, was estimated at 300 acres August 15 and 90% contained by August 20.

All this amounts to a combination of summer thunderstorms and dry conditions in northern Wyoming and southern Montana. Big Horn County is currently listed as 100% abnormally dry, according to NOAA’s National Integrated Drought Information System, considered an area approaching drought conditions. Widely scattered thunderstorm development was expected across the Pacific Northwest into the northern Rockies and north central Plains this week, with no concern for severe storms. 

In the past 30 days, precipitation across most of the western part of Big Horn County has been between 0 and 25% of the historical average. NOAA data for the county shows spring precipitation for 2025 about four inches lower that 2024. 

Flow measurements of the Big Horn River in Basin by USGS show a similar pattern of trickle off as summer ends when compared to last year, but at values as much as 3,000 cfs lower this June and 400 cfs lower this August, despite comparable snow water equivalents this spring.

Big Horn Lake never got to full pool this summer. Historically, lake levels have been influenced largely by snowpack. As of Monday, the reservoir was listed as 85.5% full by Bureau of Reclamation measurements. Recent reports of boaters becoming stuck on sandbars in the lake are the result of typical end-of-year low water levels, though boaters south of Horseshoe Bend in particular are asked to exert extra caution due to low water hazards. 

Godfrey predicted fire risk will fall as the nights get longer and cooler, but he reminded citizens burning to call in their fires to the Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office at 568-2324, use screens on burn barrels and keep water and shovels present when conducting controlled burns.