Kane Fire reaches 100% containment

Burn area remains temporarily closed

LOVELL — The Kane Fire is now 100 percent contained, the National Park Service announced Wednesday in a brief prepared release.

Bighorn Cayon National Recreation Area Interpretation and Education Manager Christy Fleming said fire crews are gradually being reduced in number while the remaining personnel continue to monitor fire hazards and carry out hazard tree mitigation efforts. Despite the cooler and wetter weather conditions, residual heat may persist in standing cottonwood trees and roots, potentially creating safety hazards, she said.

Closures and public safety

The burn area and its access roads will remain temporarily closed while crews conduct hazardous tree removal. Once this work has been completed, the roads will be reopened. The public is requested to observe these temporary closures to facilitate efficient completion of the work and to ensure public safety. The remainder of the Yellowtail Habitat roads have been opened.

The Kane Fire blew up on the evening of Saturday, March 21, in the Yellowtail Wildlife Habitat Management Area east of Lovell, fueled by dry conditions and extreme winds. The Lovell Volunteer Fire Department, with the assistance of neighboring departments, made a stand near the Bentonite Performance Minerals plant south of the habitat to protect the plant. When the wind died down and shifted the next morning, the department and federal agencies including the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management worked to contain the fire, which by Monday, March 23, had reached 1,900 acres within the fire perimeter.