Mullen Fire

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The Mullen Fire is burning in the Medicine Bow National Forest, southwest of Centennial, Wyoming. The fire was reported in the Savage Run Wilderness on Thursday, September 17, and spread rapidly in extremely rugged terrain, with dense vegetation and beetle-killed deadfall. The fire continues to burn and has damaged 66 structures. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Firefighting priorities are public and firefighter safety, the protection of structures and community infrastructure.  Values at risk include multiple communities in the surrounding area and the Rob Roy Reservoir.  Rob Roy Reservoir is the water source for the city of Cheyenne.

Regional wildfire resources responded and began fire suppression on the wildfire when it was reported on September 17. The fire continued to grow in complexity requiring elevated incident management. The Rocky Mountain Incident Management Blue Team took command of the fire on September 22.  The Southern Area Incident Management Blue Team accepted command on October 6.  A Type 3 Incident Management Team assumed took command on October 24.

The largest spread of the wildfire occurred on Saturday, September 26, when western winds reached 70 mph pushing the fire across the southern portion of Medicine Bow National Forest.  On Wednesday, September 30, the fire crossed into northern Colorado creating a more complex fire with additional challenges.

The Mullen Fire is a full-suppression fire in which firefighting resources have engaged fire where there has been the highest probability of success. Previous mitigation projects in the Rambler community provided a fuels transition that allowed firefighters to access the fire perimeter more aggressively. Burn scars from the Keystone, Badger Creek and Squirrel Creek fires were critical in slowing the progressing of the fire.

The fire has directly impacted several communities, including Albany, Keystone, Miller Lake, Fox Park and Foxborough and outlining areas. A Forest area closure is in effect surrounding the Mullen Fire, and the public is urged to respect this order for firefighter and public safety.

As winter weather has moved through the area, fire behavior has been significantly reduced. Because southeast Wyoming and northwestern Colorado have been in a prolonged severe to extreme drought since this summer, it will take sustained heavy snowfall this winter to completely extinguish all hot spots.    

As of October 26, all evacuation orders have been rescinded. Only pre-evacuations are in effect in some areas.

Key Contacts: 

If you need Emergency assistance:

Call 911

Assistance with Evacuations:

Albany County Emergency Management Agency: (307)-721-1815

Carbon County Dispatch: (307) 324-2776 (Option 0)

If you need assistance with housing:

Red Cross: (970)-440 -7499

If you need assistance with boarding your animal or livestock:

Albany County Fairgrounds: (307)-742-3224

Property Questions related to structures on an effected property:

Albany County Assessor’s Office (307)-721-2511

Carbon County Dispatch: (307)324-2776 (Option 0)

Hunting Questions

Wyoming Game & Fish: (307) 745-4046

Pre-Evacuation Information:

Readyforwildfire.org

Evacuation Checklist

NATIONAL FOREST AREA CLOSURES 
Visit the Closures tab for updated closures.