CHEYENNE, Wyo. — The extent of damage done by a wildfire on Casper Mountain is becoming clearer with many more homes destroyed than originally estimated, as firefighters battling wildfires near Casper and Jackson took advantage of another day of favorable weather conditions Thursday.
There were no major flare-ups by either the Sheep Herder Hill Fire near Casper or the Horsethief Canyon Fire near Jackson on Thursday, and firefighters reported progress on both blazes, fire officials said.
Fire managers have counted 36 homes and cabins and an additional 16 outbuildings destroyed by the wildfire burning on Casper Mountain. The number is a big jump from the seven homes confirmed earlier this week.
"That represented a significant jump and that was primarily because they were able to get in and do a little more accurate survey yesterday with fire conditions kind of settling down a little bit," fire spokesman Pat McJunkin said Thursday.
The Sheep Herder Hill Fire, about five miles south of Casper, has burned about 24 square miles. Some 400 people were evacuated since the fire started Sunday. Another 750 residences are on notice to be ready to evacuate should the fire increase.
However, firefighters have made progress in the past couple of days on containing the fire, officials said. Containment increased from 10 percent on Wednesday morning to 50 percent by Thursday.
While there's no estimate on when full containment might be reached, some helicopters and air tankers were released to fight fires elsewhere. About 350 firefighters remain on the scene.
Some people evacuated by the fire earlier have been allowed to return home.
But six people are using a shelter set up by the American Red Cross in Casper, and it is prepared to take in more, branch director Traci Aguilar said.
"We're getting into that critical time where people's hotel bills may be getting a little steep," Aguilar said. "People that are staying with family, patience may be running thin. So we're still here."
McJunkin said warmer, drier weather was expected to return to the Casper area over the next few days.
The bill for fighting the fire is an estimated $1.2 million so far, he said.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
In northwest Wyoming, firefighters successfully conducted burnout operations on Wednesday to eat up fire fuel within containment lines that crews are building around the Horsethief Canyon Fire within two miles of Jackson.
Fire spokeswoman Nan Stinson said about 500 acres of potential fuel for the fire were burned, sending a visible column of smoke over Jackson.
"They expected to put up some smoke, but the end result was exactly what they hoped for," Stinson said.
The operation helped shore up fire lines closest to the town, allowing firefighters to focus more on attacking other, more active areas of the fire, she said.
The 3,300-acre fire is burning south of the resort town next to Snow King Mountain and is 36 percent contained.
About 1,000 residents on the east side of Jackson have had their bags and cars packed since Monday in case they need to leave. No evacuation orders have been issued, and tourist activities in Jackson are not affected.
The fire has been ruled human-caused but remains under investigation.