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.

Editor’s Note: This is a rapidly changing story. For latest information, click the links.

Portions of Johnson County, south of Buffalo, are under an evacuation order due to a wildfire.

Residents north of I-90 from Tipperary Road to the northern and eastern county lines are urged to evacuate. I-90 is closed between Buffalo and Gillette as the fire crosses the freeway, moving north-northeast.

Residents on Trabing are not currently under evacuation orders.

A shelter is open at Bomber Mountain Civic Center in Buffalo. Indoor pets are welcome. Livestock can be taken to the Johnson County Fairgrounds or Buffalo Sale Barn.

The fast moving, wind-driven House Draw Fire was discovered this morning. It’s burning about 4,000 acres.

Winds are expected to ease by 6 p.m., which could help slow the spread of the fire.

Authorities are asking people to please stay out of the area. Traffic congestion prohibits first responders from accessing critical points.

Fire engines from Johnson County, Powder River Fire Department, and the Forest Service are also responding in addition to aerial support from Single Engine Airtankers and a Large Airtanker, according to Bureau of Land Management Wyoming. A Very Large Air Tanker (VLAT) has been ordered.

BLM fire crews are assisting in response to the House Draw Fire located southeast of Buffalo, WY. The fire is currently estimated at 4,000 acres. Fire engines from Johnson County, Powder River Fire Department, and the Forest Service are also responding in addition to aerial support from Single Engine Airtankers and a Large Airtanker. A Very Large Airtanker has been ordered. The fire is fast-moving and wind driven – for the safety of firefighters and the public, please avoid the area at this time.

Wyoming’s Speaker of the House and veteran of the Cowboy State lawmaking world will be out of politics for now. This political upset in the primaries marks a larger shift in state politics.

Sublette County rancher Albert Sommers (R-Pinedale) lost the Republican race for Senate District 14, which serves much of southwest Wyoming. Laura Pearson of the Kemmerer-area won by about 200 votes, according to The Associated Press.

Pearson is new to the political scene. She’s a fourth generation sheep rancher, school bus driver and a small business owner. She’s endorsed by the Wyoming Freedom Caucus. It’s a national political faction that’s gaining traction in the Wyoming Republican Party.

Sommers, who’s served in Sublette County’s state House seat since 2013 and has been a leader of the lawmaking body for two sessions, said this primary election marks a new chapter for Wyoming politics.

“I do have concerns, but ultimately we will see how they [the Freedom Caucus] lead, right?” Sommers said shortly after his race was called. “That remains to be seen. They haven’t been in power before, so you can’t say for sure how they will govern, but time will tell.”

After the primary, the Freedom Caucus is close to controlling half of the Wyoming House. In the Senate, they endorsed three other candidates – one of which won: Tim French held on to his seat in Senate District 18 representing much of Park County.

Generally speaking, the group emphasizes “family values,” “individual freedoms” and “limited government.” In Wyoming, that has meant supporting minimal federal government involvement, including funding for mental health and K-12 education programs. They also have touted climate-denial talking points that are largely disputed by the science community.

In recent years, Sommers has faced a lot of backlash from the Freedom Caucus. He’s supported by the more moderate, traditional Republican faction, the Wyoming Caucus.

In the 2023 legislative session, the Freedom Caucus was particularly upset by Sommers allowing several controversial bills die – something he could do as Speaker of the House. One was touted as a “Don’t Say Gay” bill that would’ve limited what can be talked about in public schools. Sommers said this type of teaching was not happening in Wyoming schools and it strips local control, plus he added that he believed it was unconstitutional. This received state and national condemnation from the Freedom Caucus.

In this year’s budget session, the Freedom Caucus had enough members in the House to circumvent Sommers’ leadership. They said they did so to try to curb government spending and “bring government policy more in line with conservative values.”

Bills introduced during a budget session need two-thirds support. That meant the Freedom Caucus was able to band together to prevent 13 committee bills from being introduced on day one of the session. This turned heads, because committee bills are typically a shoe-in. They are crafted by lawmakers over the previous year, usually after tedious hours of deliberation between stakeholders.

Then, as election campaigning heated up this summer, Sommers received more backlash from the Freedom Caucus. Political Action Committees (PACs) tied to the group sent out mailers accusing Sommers of aligning more with Democratic values. The mailers also made generalized statements that Sommers opposed things like property tax relief for all and Second Amendment rights. In response, Sommers sent out mailers saying it isn’t true and that he “sides with Cowboys, not [Washington] D.C. Bureaucrats.”

In an interview after the primaries were called, Sommers said the negativity this campaign cycle was particularly disheartening.

“I was hoping Wyoming would reject that negativity, but they didn’t. That seems to be a winning formula,” Sommers said. “By all accounts, that negativity flipped the Republicans in Idaho, and it flipped the Republicans in South Dakota, and now it, apparently, has flipped in Wyoming.”

But Sommers said even though he didn’t win the Senate seat, the silver lining was that he still won the majority of the vote in his home area – Sublette County.

“Those are the folks that know me. So I feel good about that,” he said.

Sommers reflected on his over a decade tenure in the Wyoming legislature. Standout lawmaking moments included passing budgets during years of financial crisis for the state – like when oil dropped in the stock market and COVID. Also, funding the Wyoming’s Tomorrow Scholarship and Wyoming Wildlife Natural Resources Trust Fund.

But, he also said he just likes serving the people. He will miss that.

“It doesn’t feel weird yet. It likely will feel weird come next January, when everybody’s gearing up to go to Cheyenne, and I’m not. But you know, life goes on,” Sommers said. “Life goes on.”

He added that he will probably use his extra time to go on more trips and get out on the water fishing. He’ll stay out of politics – for now.

“I never close the door on anything,” he said. “I don’t know that I would run again, but who knows?”

As for passing on the lawmaking torch? Mike Schmid, a LaBarge Republican, will take over Sommers’ House District 20 seat. Schmid is a first-timer in the legislature. While not endorsed by the Freedom Caucus, he aligns with them on many issues and has donated $1,000 to the group’s PAC.

Pearson, who beat Sommers, campaigned on being pro-gun, pro-life, anti-transgender rights, pro-limited government and restructuring the property tax system. In an interview post-primary results, she said she wants to be a transparent voice for the people.

“The people are the employers and they have a right to know what’s going on down there [in Cheyenne],” Pearson said. “So that’s what I want to bring home. I, until now, was their [lawmakers’] employer too.”

Meaning, she was a constituent until now, and not a politician. She said she only recently started testifying during public comment on bills. What got her interested was the events surrounding 2020.

“I believe that the 2020 election was stolen from President Trump,” she said. “Then during COVID, I didn’t feel like our state was protecting our citizens.”

Despite numerous challenges to states’ 2020 election results and investigations, there has been no evidence that there was fraud in that election.

Pearson recognized that it was a close race between her and Sommers. Many of her constituents are staunch Sommers’ supporters.

“We can talk civilly, and we can respect each other’s opinions, and we can agree on some things and not agree on others,” Pearson said. “But I’m here to represent the people. It doesn’t matter whether they’re far-right or not.”

Pearson will take over the Senate District 14 seat early next year from retiring Sen. Fred Baldwin (R-Kemmerer). Meanwhile, Sommers will step down from his House seat early next year.