Cause of 7 fires under investigation

WORLAND – Over the weekend, starting Thursday evening, seven different fires kept fire personnel from Big Horn County, Washakie County and Bureau of Land Management busy.

According to BLM Fire Management Officer Rich Zimmerlee the cause of all seven fires is under investigation.

The first fire reported was Thursday evening at 9:18 p.m. on Wyoming Highway 31, about 10 miles west of Hyattville. The fire burned through 15 acres before being contained Thursday evening around 9:34 p.m. and was considered controlled by noon Friday.

Minutes after the Highway 31 fire was reported a second fire was reported on the Lower Nowood. The fire was reported to fire personnel around 9:22 p.m. Thursday evening. The fire consumed 78.9 acres before being contained on Friday morning at around 1:28 a.m. with control at 4 p.m. Friday afternoon.

Friday didn’t give fire personnel much of a breather with the Cotton Oil Field fire, about 12 miles north of Worland, being reported around 4:54 p.m. The fire burned 6.9 acres before being contained by fire personnel at 7:30 p.m. that evening, with control at 9:20 p.m.

Two minutes after the Cotton Oil Field fire was reported, at 4:56, the Rattlesnake fire, about six miles northeast of Worland was reported. The Rattlesnake fire consumed 355 acres and was contained Saturday morning at 9:12 a.m. with control on Sunday at 5 p.m.

At around 5:15 p.m. Friday evening, the Red Butte fire, six miles northeast of Hyattville was reported. The Red Butte fire burned 176.5 acres with containment occurring at 11:42 a.m. Saturday morning.

Not too much later, 6:07 p.m. the Butte Fire, seven miles northwest of Hyattville was reported. It burned 26 acres and was contained by 9:46 a.m. Saturday morning.

Just 25 minutes later the Tater Ridge fire, 18 miles east of Basin, was reported. The Tater Ridge fire consumed 347.5 acres before being contained on Saturday at 1:50 p.m.