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Retardant Drop A plane drops retardant on the fire as it moves closer to homes between Fremont Lake and the town of Pinedale Thursday afternoon. Photo by Dave Bell. Fire nears Pinedale The Pole Fire moves through the sagebrush hills just north of Pinedale, getting closer to homes. Photo by Dave Bell. Fire near home The fire moves closer to a home north of Pinedale Thursday afternoon. Emergency personnel evacuated homes in the Favazzio, Charmichael Hills and Orcutt subdivisions for public safety. No homes were lost in this fire. Photo by Dave Bell. Spotter Plane The spotter plane flies in showing the retardant plane the path for the drop. This is just north of Pinedale. Photo by Dave Bell. Retardant plane comes in The retardant plane follows the path led by the spotter plane. Photo by Dave Bell. Making the drop One of three retardant planes making a drop on flames approaching homes north of Pinedale Thursday afternoon. Photo by Dave Bell. Helicopter Water Drop A helicopter drops water on a hot spot of a grass and sagebrush fire that started north of Pole Creek Road Thursday afternoon. This was early in the fire before it crossed the ridge to make its run towards Fremont Lake and Pinedale. At this point, not structures were threatened and it looked like the helicopter would be able to get this fire out with a few bucket drops. View from Fremont Lake Road View from the Fremont Lake road Thursday afternoon. Photo by Randy Tollison. Fire at dusk The fire at dusk overlooking Pinedale Thursday evening. Photo by Randy Tollison.

10:30 PM: It's raining in Pinedale! Evacuation order lifted. Residents can return home. Fremont Lake/Skyline Drive is open. Power restored to Pinedale and Boulder areas. No structures lost (a couple of fence posts burned). Lakeside Lodge is open and guests can return. RVs and campers at Lakeside Lodge and Fremont Lake Forest Service campground are all OK. THANK YOU everyone who came together and helped with this fire!! We'll post more pictures soon of this amazing day.

9:05 PM: Contact phone number for fire info: 307-367-5724. Contact phone number for all other information, high school 307-367-2139 ext 1. Audio from Pinedale Mayor Steve Smith (755K mp3 audio file).

8:25 PM: Just got a call from the Forest Service. They have a contact number people can call if they have questions or concerns about this Pinedale fire. People are there now at the Pinedale Ranger District office to answer the phone: 307-367-5724 Corrected phone number, sorry Nan! The Red Cross will be coming in tomorrow to help out and bring in some supplies. The Type II Team that came in this afternoon for the Salt Lick fire is helping with this Pinedale fire at the moment. Traffic trying to get up on Fremont Lake Road/Skyline Drive is still being stopped at the Pinedale Medical Clinic and at the bottom of the hill near Falers at the highway. The Sheriff's office is working on finding housing tonight for displaced people. Central meeting point is the Pinedale High School and office on Hennick Street (not the Wrangler Gym or Rendezvous Pointe). No update on fire size. Officials are carefully shuttling more people back down the Fremont Lake road from the Lakeside Lodge area, taking them to the Pinedale High School. Local businesses, Shell, Encana and Questar are helping tremendously offering support for food and shelter for displaced people.

8:10 PM: Sheriff's Office has Fremont Lake road/Skyline Drive closed at Highway 191 going up the hill near Faler's, closed for public safety. Fire has crossed the road again near the Fremont Lake overlook. Road traffic of people coming out from Lakeside Lodge direction on Skyline Drive is being stopped again.

8:05 PM: Evacuees are being taken to the Pinedale High School. The high school office is starting a contact names list for people check-ins. Tremendous cooperation from community and oil and gas companies offering support, shelter and logistics for displaced people.

7:55: New small fire reported east of The Place in Upper Green, started by lightning. Firefighters that are available are on the way. Road from Lakeside Lodge to Pinedale now open for evacuees to head back into Pinedale. Skyline Drive still closed to public. Smoke still significantly reducing visibility.

7:26 PM: News release just came in from the Bridger-Teton National Forest: Fire Resources Are On The Way for the Pole Fire The Pole fire began on the Fayette Ranch on the Thursday afternoon and has since grown to over 100-acres. Three air tankers with fire retardant, and a helicopter with the capability to do bucket drops of water have been reassigned to the Pole fire to assist with containment efforts. The fire has prompted officials to close Skyline Drive just north of the town of Pinedale. The north end and south end of Fremont campgrounds on the Bridger-Teton National Forest are under mandatory evacuations. The fire has crossed the Skyline Road as a result of strong easterly winds this afternoon and is threatening several homes and the Lakeside Lodge. People that have been evacuated from the area are asked to go to Rendezvous Pointe at 425 East Magnolia Street in Pinedale.

7:16 PM: At least one retardant plane is in the air, as well as helicopters. Firefighters are doing backburn to try and meet the main thrust of the fire moving towards homes in subdivisions between Pinedale and Fremont Lake. Evacuees from Fremont Lake Campground and Lakeside Lodge area are coming out by road and staging by the Lakeside Lodge turnoff until safe to come back to town. People are being taken to the Pinedale High School and the Shell building in Pinedale.

7:00 PM: Fire burning out in most except moving towards Pinedale. Dave Eskelson from Rocky Mountain Power just called to say they still cannot get in to make repairs on the power poles that are in the burn area, so approximately 1100 people in Pinedale and Boulder are still without power. They don't know the extent of the damage to their lines, other than the fire did burn through a main feeder line. Backburning of the fire is now possibly causing more damage to their lines. They won't know extent until their repair crews are allowed in to assess damage. Emergency personnel are now able to bring people down out of Fremont Lake Campground and Sylvan Bay by road. No longer evacuating by boat. Cars are being held at the Lakeside Lodge turnoff due to the fire danger still present at the Fremont Lake overlook area. Retardant planes are in the air. Evacuations now being ordered for Carmichael Hills and Orcutt Hills subdivision just north of Pinedale. KPIN 101.1 FM Radio is broadcasting live with more updates.

6:45 PM: The main part of fire is moving towards south side of Fremont Lake and towards the Pinedale gun range between Fremont Lake and Pinedale (4 miles between lake and town). Structure protection in place at Lakeside Lodge. Fire near Sylvan Bay is slowing and not progressing in that direction any more.

6:30 PM: Helicopters are being fueled up at the Pinedale Medical Clinic, so Hennick Street is closed now to traffic. The Museum of the Mountain Man had a program tonight to kick off Rendezvous Days with Dr. Fred Gowans as speaker. There is still access to the Museum from the lower road, but the program is in doubt. Fire is getting close to the Fremont Lake overlook at this time and smoke is creating zero visibility.

6:22 PM News release from the Bridger-Teton National Forest: Pole Fire Burning Just North of Pinedale The Pole fire began on private land this afternoon and has since grown to over 100-acres. The fire has prompted officials to close Sky Line Drive just north of the town of Pinedale. The north end and south end of Fremont campgrounds on the Bridger-Teton National Forest are under mandatory evacuations. The fire has crossed the Sky Line Road as a result of strong easterly winds this afternoon and is threatening several homes and the Lakeside Lodge. Everyone is asked to please stay away from the Sky Line area to permit firefighters to work on the fire and to allow for the Sublette County Sheriff’s office to safely evacuate the area. The Fremont Lake campgrounds were estimated to be half-full."

6:10: Sheriff Bardy Bardin was on KPIN Radio a little bit ago. He re-emphasized that the public is asked to stay off Skyline Drive so they don't add to the traffic problem and get in the way of emergency personnel trying to get in and citizens trying to get out. Traffic is now being stopped at the Pinedale ballfields on Skyline Drive/Fremont Lake Road. Public is being evacuated from Lakeside Lodge, Fremont Lake Forest Service Campground, and private homes at lower end of Fremont Lake and the Sylvan Bay areas. Some people are being evacuated by boat via Fremont Lake.

5:46 PM: The fire is moving very quickly and emergency personnel are trying to do evacuations. The public is asked to stay off Skyline Drive. Tune into KPIN 101.1 FM radio for updates on this fast-moving fire and emergency situation north of Pinedale.

5:38 PM: The Pole Creek fire is moving quickly north along the ridge on the south side of the Fremont Lake Road east of Pinedale. Sheriff's Office and emergency personnel are evacuating people from the Fremont Lake Campground area. The fire has crossed the road to the Lakeside Lodge side of the road and is into the trees.

THE PUBLIC IS ASKED TO NOT GO UP THE FREMONT LAKE ROAD Traffic is being stopped and turned around at the Fremont Lake overlook. We have reports of HUNDREDS of looky-lou cars on the road creating a huge traffic jam and hazard for emergency vehicles trying to get in and public trying to get out of the area. Tune in to KPIN 101.1 FM radio for live updates from Bob Rule with info from the Sheriff's office on status of the fire. We will update here also as more info comes in.

Photos by Randy Tollison of Daniel, Dave Bell of Pinedale, Jesse Lake of Lakeside Lodge, and Dawn Ballou and Clint Gilchrist with Pinedale Online!

Related Links Pole Fire - Inciweb - Updated by the Forest Service Bridger-Teton National Forest - U.S. Forest Service Lakeside Lodge Fire forces evacuation of homes, campgrounds north of Pinedale - By Ben Neary, Casper Star-Tribune, Friday, July 13, 2007 National Incident Information Center Green River Rendezvous Rendezvous Schedule of Events