High winds spark fire near Eagle Butte mine

No injuries or significant damage were reported in a fire that sparked near a “boneyard” area adjacent to the Eagle Buttle mine near Gillette, Wyo., in early September.

According to a report in local news outlet Cowboy State Daily, high winds topped power lines, which led to a grass fire. Firefighters with the Campbell County Fire Department responded to the site along Highway 14-16 to put out the fast-moving blaze and closed the highway for a time due to reduced visibility.

The fire spread across the mine property, electrical power poles, and six passenger pickup trucks there were parked in an equipment parking area, though Eagle Butte mine manager Dan Baker said the trucks were just some “old junkers” that were “in a boneyard-type place.” 

In the end, about 200 acres of grass was burned on reclaimed land. With a full group of first responders on hand, the mine personnel that assisted did not need to use any mine equipment to contain the fire.