Lightning-Sparked Fire Burns Up Pasture

About 220 acres of pasture were burned by a grass fire 17 miles west of Laramie off of WYO 130. Laramie Fire Department Company Commander Billy Shutte tells media that lightning started the fire and rain helped contain it.

Shutte says they received a call about the fire at approximately 2:50 p.m. on Monday afternoon. No buildings were lost, although Bret Vance with the Laramie Fire Department said 213 one-ton bales of hay did catch fire and are still burning. Crews were sent back to the scene Tuesday morning to tear apart the hay bales with an excavator.

In addition to the Laramie Fire Department, the Centennial Valley Volunteer Fire Department, Little Laramie Volunteer Fire Department, Big Laramie Fire Department, Albany County 20 and city tanker truck responded to the scene.