A fire in northern Wyoming that exploded Wednesday to more than 5,000 acres has displaced about 10 families and shut down Interstate 90 between Buffalo and Gillette, an emergency management coordinator said.

The fire started around 11 a.m. or noon Wednesday south of Buffalo near Crook Road, Johnson County Emergency Management Coordinator Jimmy Cataline told Cowboy State Daily in an afternoon phone call.

That’s a rural area with a mini-community of between 10 and 15 houses around Deer Trail, plus farm, ranch and public lands, Cataline added.

High winds whipped up the flames across the dry fields. Pushing northeast, the fire grew rapidly and crossed over Interstate 90 toward Deer Creek.

Evacuate

Authorities gave evacuation orders, with Johnson County Sheriff’s deputies, Buffalo police officers and Bureau of Land Management rangers visiting homes door-to-door to deliver the message.

A shelter is now open at the Bomber Mountain Civic Center in downtown Buffalo, Cataline said.

As of 4 p.m. Wednesday, no one had taken refuge there. Cataline said some locals have been offering to help with food, water or other accommodations. Animals are welcome at the animal shelter and livestock or other pets are also welcome at the Johnson County fairgrounds, he said.

“I don’t have numbers on how many people have been evacuated because nobody’s come here,” said Cataline of the shelter.

Because the fire has crossed Interstate 90 (at around mile marker 72), the Wyoming Highway Patrol has closed the interstate between Buffalo and Gillette temporarily.

Cataline said personnel are diverting traffic up an old state highway that connected Sheridan and Gillette before the interstate and “up some smaller backroads.”

Johnson County Fire, Powder River Fire, Buffalo Fire, Story Fire and BLM Fire all are responding to fight the blaze, he said.

“The coordinated team effort going on among all those groups, and how quick to action they were is exceptional,” Cataline said. “The fire hasn’t slowed down and neither have they.”

Firefighters hope for the wind to die down this evening, and with a chance of rain.

“We’re all doing a rain dance now,” said the emergency coordinator. 

Cataline said he does not yet know the fire’s cause, though some are blaming lightning.

Johnson County Fire Control could not be reached immediately Wednesday.  

Forecast Not Encouraging

Cowboy State Daily meteorologist Don Day said Wednesday’s forecast isn’t encouraging. The wind should abate a little after dark, but the region will be warm and breezy again starting Thursday.

“There are showers and thunderstorms out there, but they’re more to the east – the South Dakota border, more towards Newcastle, Sundance – those areas,” said Day.

Chances of rain in Buffalo are low.

Day said he didn’t have exact lightning data at his fingertips, nor could he pinpoint the fire’s cause, but there was lightning activity in the area around the time the fire started.

Contact Clair McFarland at clair@cowboystatedaily.com

Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.