***UPDATED AT ABOUT 3:15 P.M. 7/16/14***

Officials with the U.S. Forest Service have announced that the Owen Fiire is now 100% contained.

Forest Roads 540 and 517 are both reopened to the public as are the Owen Lake Campground and day use areas.

Aaron Voos with the U.S. Forest Service says that while it is 100% contained, that does not mean that it is extinguished.

"That doesn't mean it's out. There's still going to be smoke, and there still could be some flare ups on the interior, although with the rain that we've had over the last few days I would doubt that, but it is a possibility," Voos says.

He says that some areas where the fire burned are very thick in timber and debris on the forest floor, so it can be difficult to say exactly when the fire will be completely extinguished.

Voos says some trails and roads are still closed, but only those that run very closely to the 450 acre burn area.

He says that the rain in the area helped to get the fire under containment.

***UPDATED AT ABOUT 10:50 A.M. 7/14/14***

The amount of people required for the Owen Fire continues to go down.

According to Aaron Voos with the U.S. Forest Service, about 14 people are needed to work on the fire. That's down from over 140 people just last Friday.

He says the fire has not gotten quite as much rain as people have seen in Laramie, and the fire has received a little over half an inch of rain over the last few days which has helped in controlling it.

Smokey areas remain in the fire, and people can expect to continue seeing smoke in that area.

Forest Road 540 remains closed as is Lake Owen and the day use areas. In addition, the Medicine Bow Rail Trail is closed between Forest Road 517 on the north and Lincoln Gulch Trailhead on the south. Forest Road 517 has been reopened and is now safe for public travel.

We will continue having updates on the fire when the status changes. You can also find updates on InciWeb.

***UPDATED AT ABOUT 9:00 P.M. 7/13/14***

Firefighting efforts for the Owen Fire southwest of Laramie have been scaled back considerably. About 20 people are currently working on the blaze. Crews are patrolling and monitoring the fire while mopping up where needed.

The fire is still listed at 80% containment. Officials say they hope to have the fire fully contained by around the end of the month.

Forest Road 540, Owen Lake and the day use-areas are still closed for safety. In addition, the Medicine Bow Rail Trail is closed between Forest Road 517 on the north and Lincoln Gulch Trailhead on the south.

Watch for more updates on the Owen fire on the website as they become available. Updates are also on the InciWeb website.

*** UPDATED AT ABOUT 9:30 A.M. 7/11/14***

The Owen Fire is smaller than initially estimated. Spokesman for the U.S. Forest Service, Aaron Voos, said today that better mapping provided a more accurate measurement of the burn area. The fire is now estimated at 450 acres, which is 50 acres less than initially thought.

Efforts to contain the fire have been going very well. Crews made good progress in building line on the east side yesterday, which is where the most efforts towards containment are needed. The forest fire is still listed at 80% containment.

There are 142 people working on the blaze right now, with that number expecting to go down as additional resources are not needed. The fire is expected to transition to the Laramie Ranger District this weekend.

Watch for more updates on the Owen fire on the website as they become available. Updates are also on the InciWeb website.

***UPDATED AT ABOUT 9:10 A.M. 7/10/14***

The Owen Fire is still 80 percent contained and estimated around 500 acres. About 166 personnel are working on the fire.

Crews continued to make progress on the blaze yesterday, according to U.S. Forest Service spokesman Aaron Voos. Firefighting focused primarily on solidifying and improving the existing line and extinguishing a variety of spot fires that had popped up.

The fire did get rain on it last night, which significantly reduced the number of hot spots in the fire.

Plans are underway for the east side of the fire, which is the additional 20 percent that needs contained. They will be making plans to make a more solid line today. Voos says the crews will continue to work on solidifying all the fire lines today. Air operations are beginning to be scaled back, although those resources are available if needed.

One factor that is continuing to play a role in the efforts is weather. There is a high probability of thunderstorms over the next few days, so they are hoping for rain and less of the wind that could come with it.

Smoke and even flame may continue to be seen from the fire as there are some pockets of unburned fuel within the fire perimeter, says Voos. The public should not be surprised to see smoke despite the significant progress. He says it is unclear as to how long it will take to completely extinguish the fire.

No structures have been burned nor have there been any accidents or injuries for the firefighters or public.

Updates will continue to be on this website as well as on the InciWeb website.

***UPDATED AT ABOUT 2:30 P.M. 7/9/14***

The Owen Fire is 80 percent contained after yesterday's operational period and crews are hopeful to make even more gains today.

The fire has not grown in size over the last 24 hours and remains at 500 acres.

Staff on the fire now totals 175, with a wide variety of resources being utilized. Helicopters have dropped up to 20 loads of water per hour on the fire. The aircraft have used water from Lake Owen on the south boundary of the fire which has greatly helped ground crews.

At this point there have been no reported firefighter injuries or structures damaged due to the blaze.

Forest Roads 517 and 540 are immediately adjacent to the fire perimeter and remain closed. Officials are discouraging the public from entering the area.

A no unnecessary travel restriction by the Albany County Sheriff’s Department is still in place for Fox Creek Road to the east of the fire.

The cause of the fire is still unknown and under investigation.

Updates will continue to be posted on this website as well as on InciWeb.

***UPDATED AT ABOUT 9:30 A.M. 7/9/14***

Officials with the U.S. Forest Service say efforts to contain the Owen Fire have been successful.

As of now the blaze is at 80% containment and still covering an estimated 500 acres. According to U.S. Forest Service public affairs specialist Aaron Voos, yesterday was a very successful day. The weather was not as bad as expected, and they were able to utilize all available resources.

As of this morning, Voos says, there are no areas of the fire burning intensely.

There are still scattered areas of heat and smoldering fire, and the effort is going well.

Voos says fire line is around most of the perimeter at this point, and containment will likely go up throughout the day. Weather is always a concern, though, as thunderstorms are predicted for the afternoon. He says wind with those storms could harm the effort, but rains could help it.

There are about 140 personnel fighting the fire at this point. Voos says as the fire gets closer to containment that number will likely go down. While resources are still available for the effort, many things are being scaled back as the blaze is more contained. Resources like heavy air tankers and man power are on hand and ready to be utilized.

Forest Roads 517 and 540 are still closed, and the public is asked to stay away from the area for their own protection as well as the safety of the firefighters.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Updates will continue to be posted on this website as well as on InciWeb.

***UPDATED AT ABOUT 9:45 P.M. 7/8/14***

Officials say firefighting efforts on the Owen Fire are resulting in a more contained blaze.

The fire, located directly north of Lake Owen southwest of

Laramie, is 80% contained at the end of Tuesday's operational day. The blaze is still estimated at 500 acres.

Approximately 140 personnel are fighting the fire including multiple United States Forest Service and county engines and tenders. Two type I and type III helicopters are on scene getting water from Lake Owen. There are also three heavy air tankers supported out of Jeffco Airtanker Base in Loveland, Colo.

Evacuations have taken place for Owen Lake Campground, day use area and campers in the vicinity. An evacuation notice is in place for residents along Fox Creek Road & surrounding communities. There is no unnecessary travel along Fox Creek Road. A shelter is in place at Harmony School on WY 230.

Forest Roads 517 and 540 are closed. The public is asked to stay away from the area, even if access is possible.

Updates will continue to be posted on this website as well as on InciWeb.

***UPDATED AT ABOUT 9:45 A.M. 7/8/14***

The Owen Fire is growing and has no containment at this point, according to officials with the U.S. Forest Service.

The fire is at an estimated 500 acres and at the point of the morning briefing was at zero containment, says Aaron Voos, public affairs specialist with the U.S. Forest Service.

There are currently about 120 personnel working on the fire with multiple engines on scene as well as one type III helicopter (smaller) and two type I helicopters (larger) which are getting water from Lake Owen. There are also two heavy air tankers on scene.

The fire is currently burning in heavy timber with larger trees.

Voos says weather is a big concern with the fire. Erratic winds pushed the blaze in many different directions yesterday, and with thunderstorm predicted later today there is concern of it happening again.

"The wind will really influence the fire behavior today," says Voos.

He adds that crews are working hard on fire line this morning to prevent fire spread as weather worsens.

Due to the fire, Forest Roads 517 and 540 are closed. While other roads in the area remain open, Voos says traffic on those will be primarily be for those working on the fire. The public is urged to stay away from the area.

A cause is still not known and under investigation.

We will continue to have updates as they become available. Updates will also be on the InciWeb website.

***UPDATED AT ABOUT 7:15 P.M. 7/7/14***

Officials with the U.S. Forest Service have confirmed there is a fire in the Lake Owen area.

The fire has grown to over 300 acres and is north, northwest of Lake Owen.

So far the fire has had minimal rain upon it.

A type III helicopter is on scene as are multiple United States Forest Service engines and tenders. Additional air resources have been ordered including 2 heavy air tankers, two type I helicopters, and one type III helicopter.

An evacuation notice is in place for residents along Fox Creek Road and surrounding communities, and there is no unnecessary travel on Fox Creek Road. An emergency shelter has been set up at Harmony School on WY 230. Evacuations will be notified by the Albany County Sheriff's Office with Code Red Alerts and on the Albany County Website. We will keep updates on our website as well.

***POSTED AT ABOUT 4:45 P.M. 7/7/14***

Officials with the U.S. Forest Service have confirmed there is a fire in the Lake Owen Area.

The fire approximately one mile north of Lake Owen in the Medicine Bow National Forest and is approximately 50 acres in size. Crews and a helicopter are confirmed en route.

Evacuations are in effect for Lake Owen Campground & Day-Use Area as well as the north end of Fox Creek Road.

We will update when information is made available. Information will be posted on the InciWeb website as well.

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