CHUGWATER – Approximately 300 acres of grassland burned northwest of Chugwater on Tuesday, Oct. 8, which requiring the closure of the interstate before it was contained at around 8 p.m.

At around 3:12 p.m. on Tuesday, Chugwater Volunteer Fire Department was notified of a fire near town. Chugwater fire chief Tim Ash said the fire was in rough terrain with deep, narrow, and steep-sided canyons northwest of town. One group of structures was threatened, but firefighting personnel were able to prevent any structure damage. As the blaze neared the interstate and prevailing westerly winds, visibility was limited. The interstate was closed for approximately an hour to keep both motorists and firefighters safe.

“It came across the top [of the bluffs] where it is flat and burned some CRP grassland, but where the fire mostly burned was in rough terrain,” Ash said. “We had a lot of equipment fighting the fire, and the slurries (from SEAT firefighting planes) doused on the fire were a benefit to us…The fire was kept mainly in the grass, so we lucked out. Thankfully we had the personnel [to help].”

There were 60-plus firefighters assisting, including local units from Platte, Goshen, and Laramie Counties; Wyoming State Forestry, and Bureau of Land Management.

The fire chief wanted to thank Jill Winger of the Chugwater Soda Fountain for jumping in at the spur of the moment to put together delicious, filling meals to feed everyone on-scene.

As of Wednesday morning, the fire was still contained, but being monitored, and the inevitable post-fire repairing of vehicles – especially tires – was underway. The cause of the fire is officially under investigation.