UPDATE: Cliff Creek, Lava Mountain Fires Grow; Highway 191 To Jackson Reopens

UPDATE:  Due to current fire growth and spread direction of the Lava Mountain Fire, the following subdivisions are being elevated to "SET" pre-evacuation stage:
- Hat Butte,
-Union Pass,
-Warm Springs,
-Porcupine

According to the Fremont County Evacuation Plan, YOU MUST BE READY TO LEAVE AT A MOMENT'S NOTICE.

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Authorities have reopened a highway connecting Jackson to southwestern Wyoming to Jackson after a wildfire forced its closure earlier this week, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

U.S. Highway 191/189 reopened between Daniel and Hoback Junction at noon, according to the Forest Service's website InciWeb.

However, passing is not allowed in passing zones within the area of the Cliff Creek Fire.  Stopping on the roadway is not allowed neither is parking allowed in pullouts.

A red flag warning for high fire danger is in effect for much of western Wyoming.

Meanwhile, the lightning-caused Cliff Creek Fire has grown to 11,534 acres -- 18 square miles -- in the Bridger-Teton National Forest, up from 7,671 acres -- 12 square miles -- since Wednesday. It is now 10 percent contained.

As of Friday, 620 firefighting personnel were on the scene.

The evacuation and closure of roads, trails and campgrounds in the Granite Creek area remains in effect.

The fire started by a lightning strike about 2:30 p.m. Sunday about five miles north of the rural community of Bondurant in Sublette County. It is burning in thick, heavy timber and is torching groups of trees and moving by tree-top fire runs.

The Cliff Creek Fire is among eight monitored and fought by the USFS in Wyoming. Three are on state forestry lands and one is on Forest Service land. They are either 100 percent or 90 percent contained.

Besides the Cliff Creek Fire, three more are new and growing.

• The largest one as of Wednesday is the Lava Mountain Fire, which started by lightning on Monday and has burned 1,981 acres so far in the Shoshone National Forest northeast of Dubois. The fire is burning heavy timber and logging slash. There are 382 firefighters and other personnel on the scene to work with landowners to protect property.
• The Arden Fire in the Bighorn National Forest was discovered Tuesday about 35 miles east of Greybull near the Shell Reservoir. It has burned 523 acres in heavy timber.
• The Shoshone Lake Fire in the Shoshone National Forest was discovered Tuesday and its origin is unknown. It has burned 38 acres in a remote timbered area and currently poses no threat to structures.

The 2.4-million acre Shoshone National Forest was America’s first national forest.