Index Creek fire, others make for smoky skies

A fire burning just south of the Montana border near the Beartooth Highway has hit about 100 acres in size, Shoshone National Forest officials announced this (Thursday) morning. The Index Creek Fire is burning in heavy timber off U.S. Highway 212, Fire Information Officer Olga Troxel said in a morning news release, and it's just one of several fires burning in the region and contributing to the smoky skies.


The National Weather's Service office in Riverton has put together this nifty graphic explaining where the smoke is coming from:

The Fox Creek Campground is closed to the public as a result of the Index Creek Fire, and the Shoshone is implementing fire restrictions beginning Sunday.


The section of road between Fox Creek Campground and Index Creek is currently open but its status could change based on weather and fire behavior, Troxel said. Travelers are asked to drive with extreme caution. For public and firefighter safety, drivers are asked to slow down and not stop as they drive through the area.


Today’s weather is expected to be hotter and drier than yesterday with wind gusts to 25 miles per hour, so smoke will be visible throughout the day, Troxel said.


One hotshot crew, three engines, and two helicopters are working to suppress the fire and additional firefighting resources have been ordered. Tim Haas is currently the incident commander, while a Type III team will be arriving to take over management of the fire on Friday.


The fire was caused by a downed power line and was reported Tuesday, June 26.


Information and updates on the Index Creek Fire are be available on the Shoshone forest's website and on Inciweb.org.

Teen dies in accidental Yellowstone fall

An 18-year-old woman died Thursday in an accidental fall near Inspiration Point in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, according to a Friday news release from park officials.

The woman, a Yellowstone concession employee on her first day in the park, was hiking the canyon’s North Rim Trail with three other acquaintances when she ventured out off trail onto a loose rock promontory, which quickly gave way underneath her.

Yellowstone Rangers responded to a 911 cell phone call received at 5:44 p.m. Thursday, reporting a woman had fallen into the canyon.

Rangers, with the assistance of ground spotters and a Teton Interagency helicopter, observed the woman’s body resting approximately 400 feet down the canyon wall. They concluded she had sustained non-survivable injuries.

Despite the hazardous terrain, the body was successfully recovered from the canyon by short-haul helicopter operation at approximately noon today. The victim’s identity is being withheld until next of kin can be notified. 

Visitors are reminded that hiking close to canyon rims in the park is extremely dangerous. Staying on posted, designated canyon rim trails is a must due to the instability of loose dirt and rock near ledges.

Over-the-air TV channels change

If you tuned into the over-the-air broadcasts of KTWO (the Casper ABC affiliate) or KTVQ (the Billings CBS affiliate) last night, you likely ran into some problems.

That's because both stations switched from analog to digital signals yesterday (Thursday) and are now broadcasting on new channels.

Assuming you've got a TV with a digital tuner or an older TV with a digital-to-analog converter box, picking up the new digital channels should be as simple as rescanning. You need either a converter box or a digital tuner to watch over-the-air digital television broadcasts, along with an antenna.

The changes don't effect folks watching the stations on cable or satellite.

We'll have a bit more information in next week's Tribune.