CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - Strong gusts fanned the growth of a southeastern Wyoming wildfire on Friday, forcing evacuations from at least three small communities and prompting authorities to extend a pre-evacuation area south to the Colorado border.
The fire in Medicine Bow National Forest has burned at least 39 square miles (100 square kilometers) after becoming more active in windy, warm weather that started Wednesday, the Rocky Mountain Area Blue Team said. About 370 firefighters supported by aircraft focused on defending structures Friday, the team said in an afternoon update.
Officials ordered residents in the areas of Lake Creek, Rambler, Keystone and the Rob Roy Reservoir to evacuate their homes. Residents of Albany and Centennial were on pre-evacuation notice, as were residents in an expanded zone running south in Albany and Carbon counties to the Colorado state line.
Public lands in that zone are closed, said Medicine Bow Forest Supervisor Russ Bacon. Residents on private land in the area were being put on pre-evacuation notice, said Albany County Undersheriff Josh DeBree.
Wind gusts of up to 50 mph (80 kph) were expected throughout the weekend as a cold front passes through the area, said Chip Redwood, an incident meteorologist with the firefighting team.
The wildfire in rugged terrain and dense forest with beetle-killed trees has burned most of the Savage Run Wilderness, where it began Sept. 17, as well as the Platte River Wilderness. Its cause was under investigation.
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