While looking around on the InciWeb website, I found this picture, which is credited to Dick Bodine. It was taken on Sunday the 12th when it was 102 degrees and windy. We should be counting our blessings on this one friends. Think how bad it could have been if the high temperatures and winds had continued, even for one more day.I hope the wind early this evening didn’t set the firefighting efforts back any, and I hope the lightning didn’t start any more fires. All the sources I’ve been looking to are still showing what they posted this morning.

[Edit: Oops, had the wrong date on this – corrected to the 18th]

[Edit again: It appears as if the InciWeb website is a little overwhelmed with all the people trying to find out about the fires (probably partially due to me posting the link). I will post any new information on this blog and check it several times a day so that you don’t have to deal with the slow loading.]

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Steve Segin, Public Information Officer for the Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team for sending me the link to the InciWeb website, which has up-to-date information on all of the fires around the country.

According to a news release this morning posted on InciWeb:

Sheridan, WY – Firefighters working on the containment line for the Little Goose made progress today on all sides of the fire, aided by a second day of higher relative humidity, cooler temperatures and calmer winds. Tomorrow crews will continue mopping up and connecting fire line between sections of the fire. Wrapping up this fire is the highest priority for Rocky Mountain Team Bravo.

Residences along Stumpy Ridge and in the Teepee subdivisions remain threatened so engine crews will continue to provide structure protection in those areas. The evacuation order set for homes along Stumpy Ridge and in the lower Little Goose Creek drainage are still in place.

As the fire becomes contained, smoke from the interior will still be visible as islands of unburned fuel ignite and isolated stumps and trees continue to smolder. This is normal and can be expected for the next few weeks.

The Little Goose fire is estimated at 4827 acres, unchanged from what was reported yesterday, but as of this morning 70% contained.

In the same release regarding the Bone Creek Fire:

The Bone Creek Fire currently burning in the Hunt Mountain area of the Big Horn National Forest grew to 2,771 acres today. Helicopters and hand crews were used to tackle the blaze. The rough and inaccessible terrain and high number of beetle killed trees will be challenging for the firefighters. More crews will be assigned to this fire from the Little Goose Fire as they become available.

Bone Creek is still reported at 0% contained.

Once again, a big thanks to Steve Segin for the information, and also to all the firefighters, support people and volunteers out there fighting these fires.

The National Interagency Fire Center has complicated things a little this morning by combining the Little Goose and Bone Creek fires on their website, which makes if difficult for those of us here in the Sheridan area to know what is going on in our back yard.

According to the report this morning at Sheridan Media, the firefighters made significant progress yesterday due in part to the favorable weather and the Little Goose fire is now estimated at 65% contained. Unfortunately, the weather conditions were not good enough yesterday for the firefighters to perform the back burn they had planned so they will try again today, weather permitting.

Yesterday’s Sheridan Press reported that thirteen structures in all have burned with five of those being cabins, and the rest outbuildings.

Cautious optimism for me.