Remembering The Jackson Canyon Fire

Wildfire season continues in Wyoming...and it was 10 years ago, that the Casper area was dealing with one of its own.

Exact starting dates differ depending on who you ask, but it was about this time 10 years ago, fire crews were battling the Jackson Canyon Fire on Casper Mountain.

The blaze started on the backside of the mountain, and it didn't take long for the wind to push it over the mountain towards the Oil City.

Lieutenant Stu Anderson with Natrona County Emergency Management, says the fire started in an area that was difficult to access, and the wind made it difficult for firefighters to tell how the fire was going to move.

"The fire switched directions several times to where we had to evacuate both the front of the mountain, the areas in front of the mountain, down to Highway 220, and over to Wyoming Boulevard and Mountain Road. All of those areas had to be evacuated as well as the Goose Egg Area."

It took fire crews about 1 1/2 weeks to fully contain the fire.

The Sheepherder Hill Fire, which was also on Casper Mountain, started back in 2012.

Compared to the Jackson Canyon Fire, it burned more land, but it was less of a threat, because it moved away from the city.