SWEETWATER COUNTY — Sweetwater County Fire District No. 1 had a busy two days, responding to fires south of Rock Springs, a fireworks-related fire in a trailer park on Purple Sage Road, and near Interstate 80 east of Rock Springs.
Assistant Fire Chief Jake Ribordy said district firefighters responded to a lightning-caused fire south of Rock Springs Sunday. Ribordy said there were 26 firefighters at the fire between the fire district and Bureau of Land Management fire crews. Five fire engines were utilized, along with one helitack unit, an air attack, and three large air tanker drops. Ribordy said it was brought under control at about 4 p.m. Sunday, burning 18.7 acres. Fire crews will be on scene tomorrow before calling it extinguished.
Monday, the district responded to a grass fire that burned the exterior of a trailer between Rock Springs and Green River. At about 1:45 p.m., the fire district received a call to an address at the Western Hills mobile home park on Purple Sage Road. Ribordy said the fire was caused by sparklers that had ignited some grass, which grew quickly and melted the siding and skirting of an adjacent trailer. The fire was put out by the time firefighters arrived. Ribordy said the fire crew responding to the home sprayed additional water on the burned grass and trailer. No one was injured during the fire.
“We didn’t really take any action on it,” Ribordy said.
A final fire near the westbound lane of Interstate 80 about 17 miles east of Rock Springs resulted in a fire that consumed about an acre. Nine Fire District No. 1 firefighters responded to that fire. Ribordy said he was still waiting for a fire investigator to look at the fire, but said it was caused by human activity. He said the belief is sparks from a trailer chain dragging on the road started the fire. With the area experiencing high temperatures and dry conditions, Rubordy said the likelihood of a fire is increasing.
“We are trending toward a hot and dry summer,” he said.
Sweetwater County’s fire chiefs recently issued a warning to residents about fireworks and heightened fire danger as the county heads into the long Fourth of July weekend.
