Dunn Mountain Fire / Gunbarrel Fire

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Dunn Mountain Fire / Gunbarrel Fire

By Nick Lough

BILLINGS - Wet cool weather was just what firefighters needed to get a handle on the wind-driven Dunn Mountain Fire north of Shepherd.

At one point over the weekend more than 400 hundred firefighters were on the scene, now hundreds are demobilizing Monday as the Dunn Mountain Fire is now 100% contained.

We're expecting to pull out more than 200 folks Monday and that's a combination of engine crews that are going to be demobilized, as well as hot shots crews, type two hand crews," said Fire Information Officer Jennifer Costich.

Fire officials say the blaze is also fully contained, a feat only possible because of all the recent rain in the area. "You've probably seen helicopters dropping water out of a little bucket on to a fire to put out a hot spot. This is mother natures huge bucket and she basically drowned it," said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Louis Hartjes.

Even though the battle was short, some crews only spent a day or two on the actual line, officials say there's always something to learn or be refreshed on and in this instance the past weeks lesson has been on wind. "Just by looking at the pattern here you can see the way the winds progressed this way and all of a sudden that other front comes in and we start getting winds of out the south and that fires goes this way," said Hartjes referring to a fire map on the wall.

In total 102,383 acres, one out building, several stacks of hay, and a few cattle were also lost, but crews say they really dodged a bullet because of the help from Mother Nature. "Without the rain we'd be out there Monday and Tuesday and probably for several days still doing a lot of work out there." Said Hartjes. Now all that work will be in form of paper work all the crews need to fill out before they leave fire camp.

Gunbarrel Fire:
The cost of fighting the Gunbarrel Fire, burning west of Cody since late July, has exceeded $10 million.

The Great Basin National Incident Management team is directing firefighting efforts. The team reported this weekend that the fire has now burned nearly 62,000 acres, more than 95 square miles.

There are about 475 people fighting the fire, concentrating on keeping it from burning any structures. Officials say the fire now 70% contained. It's not expected to be fully contained until sometime in October, when snowfall comes.

Lightning ignited the fire July 26. It's burning in forested canyons on National Forest Lands between Cody and Yellowstone National Park. The fire has forced the evacuation of some lodges in the area.

Tuesday, Sep 2 at 6:32 PM denib wrote ...

I am so grateful to all of hte firefighters, local and usfs who saved our homes and ranches here in the bulls. Hopefully the grass will be extra green next spring!

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