A lightning strike began the first forest fire of the season in Wyoming.
Wildfire season starts early for Grand Teton. Jackson Hole News and Guide. By Corey Hatch.
It should add that the last several days have provided substantial rain in Eastern Idaho and much of Montana, but overall the area remains far below normal precipitation and the heavy fuels (those that sustain forest fires, rather than range fires) are very dry.
Ralph Maughan
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University. He has been a Western Watersheds Project Board Member off and on for many years, and also its President. For many years he produced Ralph Maughan's Wolf Report. He was a founder of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. He and Jackie Johnson Maughan wrote three editions of "Hiking Idaho." He also wrote "Beyond the Tetons" and "Backpacking Wyoming's Teton and Washakie Wilderness." He created and is the administrator of The Wildlife News.
So glad to hear that the Teton area is getting plenty of rain right now. That should keep the forest fires down a bit. Lived in Green River, WY for 17 years and remember seeing smoke from Yellowstone fires of 1988 all the way down to GR. Hope to be up in Jackson the end of July.
Jean S.