Sawmill Canyon Fire flares; now contained

GUERNSEY-A fire on Camp Guernsey’s north training area that began over a week ago during exercises by a Colorado National Guard Unit continued to burn late Sunday evening as firefighters continued to push for complete containment. Approximately 190 firefighters were involved in fighting the blaze, caused by errant rounds fired by the Guard.

Despite the gains made by the end of last week, the fire flared again on Sunday, sending firefighters back to areas previously thought controlled.

The most recent update was released on Thursday, July 19 by the Wyoming State Forestry Division. At that time, it was reported that the command would be turned over to a local Type IV team Friday morning. Incident Commander Ron Graham of the WSFD, assessed the area at that time and felt confident the fire was nearly contained.

Graham praised fire crews for the job they did, saying he “wanted to thank all involved, crews came in and attacked the fire in hot, dry conditions, coupled with an abundance of fuel in grass, brush and timber.

The residents of Guernsey and Glendo along with Camp Guernsey staff accommodated all our needs and were a tremendous help to the crews.”

In that release, the containment was listed at 60 percent with 14,185 acres burned.

Units that worked on the fire lines included Platte County Firefighters, Wyoming Military Department, Bureau of Land Management, US Forest Service, Platte County Sheriff’s Department, Platte County Emergency Management, Wyoming State Parks and Cultural Resources, Wyoming State Forestry Division and numerous volunteer firefighters.