CLOSE CALL: Chugwater, Wyoming Saved From Fire

Quick action from firefighters may have saved the tiny town of Chugwater, Wyoming, late Tuesday afternoon.

What caused the fire is unkown.

Firefighters swooped in from air and land to put it out as quickly as they could.

Everything is so dry out there.

The first few photos you'll see are the aftermath.

Then we will show you what happened from an earlier post.

That famous sign, shown above,  is a little singed. Below is what it looked like as the fire approached.

There was a small portion of the fire, now under control, trying to work its way down a hillside toward town.

You can see the red stain of fire retardant that was dropped in front of it.

These three amazing photos of fire retardants being dropped were taken by Chugwater resident Kimberly Witt.

Below you can see firefighters working the last hotspots.

It looks like it might have started above the flat top and moved its way down.

Stopping it early took quick action.

Let's zoom in on that photo.

WOW, that was close.

They weren't going to let it get to those buildings.

Let's turn the clock back and see what happened

Late Tuesday afternoon 10/08/24 a fire is burning on the high ground above Chugwater, Wyoming.

As of 4:30 pm, it appears to be out of control according to some Chugwater residents.

The fire was about one mile north of town

Here are photos and videos being sent by our friends in Chugwater.

In the video below you can see the fire quickly moving in the grass near Interstate 25 near the sign for the Stampede Restaurant.

This video was taken by Josh Hopkins, Chugwater resident and co-owner of the Tri-County Mercantile

Smoke quickly fills the area.

The good news is, at the moment, it looks like the smoke and fire are moving away from town.

But that should never be taken for granted.

These fires can shift quickly and at any time.

Keep your eyes on those planes in the video below.

You'll see them dropping a fire retardant ahead of the blaze.

Let's pause that moment to see what happened.

First, a spotter plane comes in then the drop plane after it.

This next drop is much closer to town.

But still across the interstate.

They are trying to keep it from moving too close to the little town of Chugwater.

Heavy smoke can be seen north of town.

Firefighters are rushing in to stop the spread.

The view from the photo above shows smoke over the highway, north of town.

In the photo below you can see the corner of the old hotel on Chuwater's main street.

The fire is north of town according to Kimberly Witt, Chugwater resident.

From this perspective, it seems that the smoke is blowing east, across the highway.

The town of Chugwater is far down below those bluffs.