Wyoming

New Fires Add To Wyoming’s Wildland Inferno, More Than 55,000 Acres…

Published

2 years ago

August 5, 2024

New Fires Add To Wyoming’s Wildland Inferno, More Than 55,000 Acres…

Firefighters battling the Pleasant Valley fire near Guernsey, Wyoming, have barricaded the massive wildfire in the steep terrain of the Haystack Range that is blamed for burning the homestead of U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman, the state’s lone congresswoman, and briefly threatened historic Fort Laramie.

Meanwhile, two separate wildfires in the northeastern part of Wyoming have grown to about 24,000 acres combined, stretching resources in that part of the state as the Pleasant Valley fire is slowly getting tamped down in the Cowboy State’s southeastern corner.

“We are making progress on both of them, and we’ll be helped with cooler weather coming in,” said Stuart Burnham, fire marshal for the Campbell County Fire Department, of the new fires in the northeastern part of the state. “The temperatures have been in the upper 90s, but we’re hoping for 10-20 degrees of cooler temperatures that will help us.”

A third fire, called the Clearwater Fire, has been burning in the steep Shoshone National Forest about 11 miles west of Wapiti, Wyoming.

That fire is 7% contained and has burned 1,786 acres, said Ranae Pape, a spokeswoman for fire agencies fighting that fire, which began July 19 from a lightning strike.

The fire indefinitely closed several campgrounds in the Elk Fork vicinity and has 100 firefighting personnel on the line, Pape said.

The Clearwater Fire briefly shut down the East Entrance of Yellowstone National Park.

Most of the state’s attention, however, has been in the Guernsey area 350 miles to the southeast of Yellowstone’s East Entrance in Park County.

As of Monday, the Pleasant Valley Fire had burned nearly 29,000 acres and is reportedly 65% contained, said Tyson Finnicum, a spokesman for the Wyoming Type 3 Team working the incident.

Finnicum’s Type 3 team is an emergency classification level used by fire tracking agency National Interagency Fire Center and is made up of a small group of local, state and federal officials needed to help in the management of combating a wildfire.

It’s the same kind of team that Pape is working with in the Clearwater Fire in the Shoshone National Forest.

The Pleasant Valley Fire just north of Guernsey, Wyoming, has burned close to 30,000 acres in Gosen and Platte counties. (Wyoming State Forestry Division)
The Pleasant Valley Fire just north of Guernsey, Wyoming, has burned close to 30,000 acres in Gosen and Platte counties. (Wyoming State Forestry Division)
The Pleasant Valley Fire just north of Guernsey, Wyoming, has burned close to 30,000 acres in Gosen and Platte counties. (Wyoming State Forestry Division)
The Pleasant Valley Fire just north of Guernsey, Wyoming, has burned close to 30,000 acres in Gosen and Platte counties. (Office of Gov. Mark Gordon)
The Pleasant Valley Fire just north of Guernsey, Wyoming, has burned close to 30,000 acres in Gosen and Platte counties. (Office of Gov. Mark Gordon)

Famous Structure Casualty

The Hageman homestead, a rustic cabin-like structure with plastered walls and built into the side of a hill near McGinnis Pass, was destroyed by an uncontained fire in rough terrain littered with huge granite boulders and tinder fueled with juniper pinions and sagebrush.

“It’s been pretty devastating,” Hageman told Cowboy State Daily last week.

The homestead likely burned sometime Wednesday afternoon after the Haystack Fire and Pleasant Valley fires combined to form one big inferno now known as the Pleasant Valley Fire.

The historic town of Fort Laramie was briefly threatened Wednesday, but firefighters and ranchers dug their heels in to stop the fire’s advance at a canal located about 2 miles from the western edge of town.

Since Wednesday, the fire has pulled back from U.S. Highway 26 and headed deep into the Haystack Range.

The burn area in the Haystack Range is between McGinnis and McCann passes in Goshen County at about 5,000 feet in elevation. The range passes are located east of Whalen Canyon Road and are located about 6 miles apart.

The southern end of the fire is about 8 miles to the northeast of Guernsey, the area where the Pleasant Valley fire first started.

Evacuations were twice briefly called for the communities of Hartsville and Sunrise north of Guernsey and for people who live along the Waylen Canyon and Pleasant Valley roads.

Prairie Fires

The latest threat in the state has emerged from two roaring grass fires on open prairies in Campbell and Weston counties.

Those fires have consumed a total of 23,000 acres in the northeast corner of Wyoming, Burnham said.

In one, the Wildcat Creek Fire is burning southeast of Wright off Rochelle Hills Road.

“It’s burning in the Rochelle Hills area, where there are some rolling hills, ravines and ridges,” said Burnham of the fire that began Aug. 2.

Wright is a tiny energy community about 40 miles south of Gillette, the central city in Campbell County’s energy-rich Powder River Basin.

The cause of the Wildcat Creek Fire is still under investigation, Burnham said.

The fire rapidly grew due to strong winds and dry vegetation.

On Sunday evening, the fire was estimated to be about 17,258 acres. The fire has burned into Weston County to the east of its origin, Burnham said.

There are no reports of injuries or structures lost.

Burnham said that the fire is about 30% contained.

The Deer Creek Fire located about 25 miles west of Gillette has multiple agencies involved in fighting the 7,000-acre fire, which is not contained.

The cause of this fire is still under investigation, Burnham said.

The grass fire erupted Aug. 3 west of West Echeta Road.

The fire quickly spread due to the dry weather, winds and hot temperatures.

The Bureau of Land Management has assumed command of this incident, with fire departments in Campbell, Johnson and Sheridan counties, as well as the Wyoming State Forestry Division and U.S. Forest Service helping fight the wildfire.

Burnham said that the region is experiencing a lack of moisture and hot weather, which has fueled the quick spread of the wildfires.

Multiple heavy air tankers, helicopters and bulldozers have been used to try and contain the fire. It is anticipated fire crews will be on scene for multiple days, Burnham said.

Meanwhile, Near Pinedale

Another wildfire burning on the Bridger Teton National Forest is the Leeds Creek fire, a blaze that’s burned about 1,230 acres and is 13% contained, the U.S. Forest Service reprts through its InciniWeb wildlife fire tracker tool.

The fire was firest reported the morning of Aug. 1 and its cause is unknown. It’s burning a mix of conifer and heavy dead and down fuels about 18 miles southwewt of Dubois, according to the report. So far, a crew of 95 is working the fire, along with building a dozer line to “lock up the fire’s edge and gain containment.”

Contact Pat Maio at pat@cowboystatedaily.com

The Wildcat Creek Fire southeast of Wright, Wyoming, has burned more than 17,000 acres and is about 30% contained, fire officials report. (Robby’s Radar via Facebook)
The Wildcat Creek Fire southeast of Wright, Wyoming, has burned more than 17,000 acres and is about 30% contained, fire officials report. (Robby’s Radar via Facebook)

Pat Maio can be reached at pat@cowboystatedaily.com.

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Wyoming

Group asks judge to restore abortion rights, block Human Heartbeat Act

Published

12 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

Group asks judge to restore abortion rights, block Human Heartbeat Act

A group of abortion access advocates are asking the Natrona County District Court to block the Human Heartbeat Act. The law went into effect on March 9 and bans most abortions at six weeks.

That’s because cardiac activity can be detected with a transvaginal ultrasound at about six weeks — a time when abortion advocates say many people don’t know they’re pregnant yet.

The motion to the court states that the new law involves the same “fundamental problem” as other abortion-related laws already being considered by the court.

They are asking to add the law to an ongoing case over separate laws, which would require building renovations at abortion clinics and require transvaginal ultrasounds 48 hours before an abortion. Both of those laws have been temporarily blocked.

“[The Human Heartbeat Act] transgresses the constitutional guarantee of Plaintiffs’ and individuals’ to make health care decisions without interference from the government,” says the document filed on the afternoon of March 10 by Robinson Bramlet LLC.

Wyoming Public Radio obtained the filing from Chelsea’s Fund, an abortion-rights nonprofit and one of the plaintiffs in the case — part of the same group that has been challenging the state for years to protect abortion access.

They recently won their case in the Wyoming Supreme Court, when the majority of justices decided to strike down two near-total abortion laws enacted in 2024, saying they violated residents’ right to make their own healthcare decisions, which is specifically protected in the Wyoming Constitution.

The Legislature quickly got to work on more anti-abortion legislation, such as the Human Heartbeat Act, which Gov. Mark Gordon signed on March 9. It carries an exception for cases where the health of the mother is in jeopardy, but not for rape or incest victims, which Gordon called an “unfortunate flaw.”

Chelsea’s Fund Executive Director Janean Forsyth said she was disappointed the state again restricted access to “vital care.”

“I’m thinking about everyone from the 15 year old that we supported, whose grandmother actually reached out, a victim of sexual assault,” Forsyth said. “I’m thinking about a family with a very wanted pregnancy that we supported in eventually seeking an abortion for a severe fetal anomaly.”

Forsyth added that abortion laws like this result in medical providers leaving the state.

“So it’s not only affecting access to abortion care, it’s affecting reproductive healthcare access generally for parents and children, which is really unfortunate,” she said.

Wellspring Health Access in Casper, the state’s only abortion clinic, is cancelling appointments with patients seeking to end their pregnancies later in their term, according to Executive Director Katie Knutter.

Speaker of the House Chip Neiman (R-Hulett) sponsored the law. He said he wasn’t surprised it was met with legal action, as that’s been the trend in recent years.

“I think we’re in a good spot,” Neiman said in a voicemail to Wyoming Public Radio after the lawsuit was filed. “And we’re going to move ahead and the people of the Legislature, Wyoming has spoken.”

Lawmakers decided against putting the issue directly before Wyoming voters as a constitutional amendment this fall. That’s after Gordon urged them to do so to end the legal cycle.

Neiman couldn’t be reached by publication time to comment on the decision to not pursue a constitutional amendment, but in a Jan. 26 town hall, he expressed worries that voters could codify the right to abortion.

In 2024, 64% of Nevada voters supported enshrining the right into the state constitution. A majority will have to vote in favor again later this year to recognize the right.

In his voicemail, Neiman added, “There’s folks out there that are completely good with killing kids, killing babies in the womb, and there’s other folks out here like the Legislature that are fighting desperately to preserve their lives.”

The abortion-rights group said it will ask the court to issue a temporary restraining order and block the new law while the legal challenge proceeds.

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Wyoming

Wyoming Coaches Pick the Best of 1A & 2A Boys Basketball in 2026

Published

24 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

Wyoming Coaches Pick the Best of 1A & 2A Boys Basketball in 2026

The top boys’ basketball players in Wyoming for Classes 1A and 2A were chosen for the 2026 high school season. The Wyoming Coaches Association has unveiled the all-state awards for this year, as voted on by the head coaches in the two classifications, respectively. The Wyoming Coaches Association only recognizes one team for all-state, and only these players receive an award certificate from the WCA. WyoPreps only lists all-state players as defined by the WCA.

WCA 1A-2A BOYS BASKETBALL ALL-STATE SELECTIONS IN 2026

Each class selected 14 players for all-state, reflecting a broad recognition of talent across Wyoming. Notably, congratulations go to Hulett’s Kyle Smith, Brady Cook from Lingle-Fort Laramie, and Carsten Freeburg from Pine Bluffs, who earned all-state honors for the third straight year. In addition, eight more players achieved all-state status for the second time in their prep careers.

Class 1A

Paul McNiven – Burlington

Bitner Philpott – Burlington

Ammon Hatch – Cokeville (All-State in 2025)

Hudson Himmerich – Cokeville

Kyle Smith – Hulett (All-State 2024 & 2025)

Anthony Arnusch – Lingle-Ft. Laramie

Brady Cook – Lingle-Ft. Laramie (All-State 2024 & 2025)

Tymber Cozzens – Little Snake River (All-State in 2025)

Corbin Matthews – Lusk

Max Potas – Meeteetse (All-State in 2024)

Jace Westring – Saratoga

Hazen Williams – Saratoga

TJ Moats – Southeast (All-State in 2024)

Nic Schiller – Upton

Read More Boys Basketball News from WyoPreps

WyoPreps 1A-2A State Basketball Scoreboard 2026

WyoPreps 3A-4A Regional Basketball Scoreboard 2026

WyoPreps Coaches and Media Final Basketball Poll 2026

1A-2A Boys Basketball Regional Scoreboard 2026

WyoPreps Boys Basketball Week 11 Scores 2026

WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Polls 2-25-26

WyoPreps Boys Basketball Week 10 Scores 2026

WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Polls 2-18-26

WyoPreps Boys Basketball Week 9 Scores 2026

WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Polls 2-11-26

WyoPreps Boys Basketball Week 8 Scores 2026

WyoPreps Coaches and Media Basketball Polls 2-4-26

Class 2A

Caleb Adsit – Big Horn

Chase Garber – Big Horn

Carsten Freeburg – Pine Bluffs (All-State 2024 & 2025)

Mason Moss – Rocky Mountain

Oakley Hicks – Shoshoni

Kade Mills – Sundance

Cody Bomengen – Thermopolis (All-State in 2025)

Zak Hastie – Thermopolis

Ellis Webber – Thermopolis (All-State in 2025)

Joseph Kimbrell – Wright

Mitchell Strohschein – Wright (All-State in 2025)

Adriano Brown – Wyoming Indian

Heeyei’Niitou Monroe-Black – Wyoming Indian (All-State in 2025)

Cordell Spoonhunter – Wyoming Indian

The 2026 state champions were the Saratoga Panthers in Class 1A. They beat Lingle-Fort Laramie, 50-45, in the championship game. The 2A winners were the Thermopolis Bobcats, who repeated as champions, after a 45-38 victory over Wyoming Indian in the title game.

Lusk versus Rock River high school basketball 2026

Game action between the Tigers and Longhorns

Gallery Credit: Courtesy: Lisa Shaw

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Wyoming

New laws establish a statewide literacy program

Published

1 day ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

New laws establish a statewide literacy program

A pair of bills signed into law last week aim to build out a more comprehensive system of literacy education across Wyoming’s public schools.

One mandates evidence-based practices and requires regular screenings for dyslexia, while the other enables the Wyoming Department of Education (WDE) to hire a dedicated literacy professional to oversee statewide compliance.

Gov. Mark Gordon’s signing of both bills on Friday was the latest accomplishment of an ongoing push for improved literacy standards. That push has been spearheaded by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder.

“Wyoming is not going to let a single child fall through the cracks,” Degenfelder said during a public bill signing last week. “We are not going to fall behind when it comes to ensuring that our children can read at grade level.”

The primary bill, Senate File 59, establishes a statewide K-12 program for teaching students to read that is built on “evidence based language and literacy instruction, assessment, intervention and professional development that supports educators, engages families and promotes literacy proficiency for all Wyoming students.”

The bill defines evidence-based strategies as those that conform to the science of reading, a term that will be defined and updated by Degenfelder’s office. Nationwide, it generally means putting academic research into practice in classrooms. SF 59 specifically prohibits the exclusive use of “three-cueing” — a strategy once widely employed to teach reading but which education experts now say is outdated and less effective than other strategies.

It also requires annual dyslexia screeners for students below the third grade, and testing for reading difficulties for all students.

The screeners are used to identify the severity of reading difficulties in order to direct “tiered” support that offers the most intensive interventions to the students most in need, while still providing “evidence based” language instruction to all students.

Each school district must formulate an individualized reading plan “for each student identified as having reading difficulties or at risk for poor reading outcomes.”

Districts must now report to the state annually regarding their literacy-related work. Any district where 60% or more of the students are struggling will be required to implement “summer literacy camps or extended supports, including after school support and tutoring.”

The bill also requires literacy related professional development for teachers and specialists “appropriate to their role and level of responsibility” related to literacy education.

SF 59 was backed by dyslexia advocates and literacy specialists.

Senate File 14, the other literacy bill signed into law Friday, appropriates $120,000 annually for the next two years for a full-time position at WDE “to assist school districts in implementing a reading assessment and intervention program and language and literacy programs.”

Both bills go into effect July 1.

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