DUBOIS, WY, Saturday, July 309, 2016 5 P.M. Update – As firefighters work to bring the Lava Creek Fire under control, the Red Cross continues to provide community support for residents in and surrounding Dubois.
The fire has currently affected over 13,000 acres, and was 20 percent contained as of Saturday, Incident Commander Kim Martin said during a community meeting held at the Dubois High School on Saturday.
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| Bill Werner, Site Manager for Red Cross, speaks to the community in Dubois, WY. Photo by Amanda Fry |
The Red Cross has established an emergency shelter and disaster center at the Dubois High School to assist the community.
The personnel staffed at this facility are not only providing the resources needed for the evacuees, but also visiting with the volunteers of the community helping in the shelter to establish contacts for future needs. Information on partnering with the Red Cross is being provided as well. Volunteers from throughout Colorado and Wyoming have traveled to the location to assist at the center, and many local residents are volunteering to provide support at the center as well.
“The compassion and caring that I have seen since I’ve been here – you should truly be proud of the kind of community that you are,” Red Cross Disaster Program Manager Bill Werner said during the meeting.
The Center has showers, cots, and refreshments for evacuees and residents. Since Thursday, 512 individuals have come for community meals at the center, as well as over 600 snacks for residents and emergency responders.
Red Cross will continue to provide resources, meals, and temporary shelter for residents as needed.
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Update by Amanda Fry
DUBOIS, WY, Friday, July 29, 2016, 10 a.m. UPDATE – As firefighters and emergency responders continue to fight the Lava Mountain Fire near Dubois, Wyoming, the Wyoming Red Cross has set up an emergency shelter and base for residents and response coordinators.
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| Incident Command briefs concerned people at the Dubois High School Thursday evening. Photo by Amanda Fry |
As of July 28, the fire was 5 percent contained, and had burned 12,869 acres. 766 responders are currently working to contain the blaze. No homes have been destroyed, however, around 900 individuals have had to evacuate due to eminent fire danger.
The Red Cross has established an emergency shelter and disaster center at the Dubois High School to assist the community.The emergency shelter and disaster center is located at the Dubois High School.
Red Cross Disaster Preparedness Manager Bill Werner said that the shelter offers a wide variety of services for residents.
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| Wyoming State Patrol Lt. Lee Pence helps clean up after the community dinner in Dubois, WY. Photo by Amanda Fry, Red Cross |
The organization is also assisting community members in networking to provide services for each other. Werner said that residents have stopped by the shelter to offer support for their neighbors, including providing pasture space for displaced horses and livestock.
“I know neighbors want to help neighbors, so if you can come in and offer your services, we can connect you with someone who is needing help,” he said.
In addition to providing emergency shelter and services, the Red Cross is providing meals for the community, and a venue for residents to meet with emergency management for updates on the ongoing situation.
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| Red Cross volunteers (in red shirts) provide snacks and water to fire fighters working the Lava Mountain Fire. Photo by Amanda Fry, Red Cross |
Volunteers have also been driving along fire perimeters to offer first responders refreshments.
Shoshone National Forest Supervisor Joseph Alexander said that both the community and outside resources, including the Red Cross, have been a great help during the fire, and he is “cautiously optimistic” about the current progress in containing the Lava Mountain Fire. “We have some fantastic resources,” he said. “When you combine them, I would say we are very lucky.”
Wildfire status information is available from InciWeb here.
Wildfire Safety and Preparedness information is available from the Red Cross at redcross.org/prepare.
The Red Cross offers free mobile apps that can help before, during and after a wildfire. These apps are available from any preferred app vendor. All you need to do is go to your preferred provider and search Red Cross. You may also get the apps at www.redcross.org/apps. The recommended apps are: Emergency, Wildfire and FirstAid.
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Update by Bill Fortune
Dubois, WY, Thursday, July 28, 2016, 10 A.M. Update: Support continues for the people affected by the Lava Mountain Fire.
The shelter at the old Dubois High School will move to the new Dubois High School at noon today. The new shelter location is 700 North First St., Dubois, Wyoming. All services that were available at the old location will be moved to the new location. A community dinner will be held tonight at the new shelter location where an estimated 200 meals will be served.
The Red Cross is working with local service organizations and partners to support the feeding effort associated with the Lava Mountain Fire. Overnight one person stayed at the shelter Wednesday night with several fire fighters sleeping at the facility during the day. However a much larger number of people are taking advantage of the resources available at the shelter, including food, water and fire information.
The Lava Mountain fire is one of nine active fires burning in Wyoming and it has the highest priority in the State due to its potential impact on people and their homes. Residents are encouraged to listen to local media for the latest evacuation notices. They can also get information from the Fremont County Sheriff Office on Facebook at Fremont County Sheriff’s Office – Wyoming.
Wildfire information for Wyoming is available from InciWeb here.
Wildfire Safety and Preparedness information is available from the Red Cross at redcross.org/prepare.
The Red Cross offers free mobile apps that can help before, during and after a wildfire. These apps are available from any preferred app vendor. All you need to do is go to your preferred provider and search Red Cross. You may also get the apps at www.redcross.org/apps. The recommended apps are: Emergency, Wildfire and FirstAid.
Update by Bill Fortune
Casper, WY, Wednesday, July 27, 2016, 10 A.M. Update: The American Red Cross continues to provide support for the wildfires that are raging in Wyoming. Red Cross staff and volunteers from Colorado and Wyoming are on site working closely with local, state and federal responders.
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| Lava Mtn Fire, July 26, 2016. Photo courtesy InciWeb. |
The evacuation shelter remains open at the old Dubois High School, 314 Helmer St., Dubois, Wyoming. Two people stayed at the shelter overnight Tuesday. Many more people have accessed the services at the shelter for food, snacks, water and, of course, wildfire information. A community meeting was held at the shelter location Tuesday evening where people received the latest information about the Lava Mountain Fire.
The Lava Mountain fire is one of nine active fires burning in Wyoming and it has the highest priority in the State due to its potential impact on people and their homes. Residents are encouraged to listen to local media for the latest evacuation notices. They can also get information from the Fremont County Sheriff Office on Facebook at Fremont County Sheriff’s Office – Wyoming.
Wildfire information for Wyoming is available from InciWeb here.
Wildfire Safety and Preparedness information is available from the Red Cross at redcross.org/prepare.
The Red Cross offers free mobile apps that can help before, during and after a wildfire. These apps are available from any preferred app vendor. All you need to do is go to your preferred provider and search Red Cross. You may also get the apps at www.redcross.org/apps. The recommended apps are: Emergency, Wildfire and FirstAid.
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Update by Bill Fortune
Cheyenne, WY, Tuesday, July 26, 2016, 2 P.M. Update – The American Red Cross continues to provide support for the wildfires raging in Wyoming. According to the Incident Information System (InciWeb) there were nine active wildfires in Wyoming as of 8 A.m. Tuesday. Over the past several days the Red Cross has opened evacuation centers and shelters in several locations near the active fire areas.
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| Lava Mountain Fire smoke plume on July 21, 2016. Photo courtesy InciWeb |