WYDOT Employee Discovers New Wildfire, Calls for Help, and Assists in Containing It

An observant Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) employee played a crucial role in preventing a wildfire from escalating near Sheridan, located approximately seven miles north of the city along Interstate 90, Cowboy State Daily reports.

Jacob Williamson spotted the fire around 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday while heading back to the office to complete paperwork.

As he was driving, Williamson noticed a plume of smoke near the Acme exit.

“The smoke really lays in this valley from the Elk Fire so bad, and it’s hard to tell visually what’s new smoke and what’s old,” he told Cowboy State Daily.

However, the wind had cleared out the lingering smoke from the Elk Fire, making the new smoke visible and alarming. Given the area’s dry conditions—over 20 days without rain—he realized the potential for a serious wildfire.

Concerned, Williamson turned his vehicle around to investigate the source of the smoke. Upon approaching the site, he confirmed his fears: a small fire was spreading rapidly. He immediately called 911 to report the fire and searched for a fire extinguisher in his truck. Unable to locate it, he turned on his hazard lights and hurried back to his job site, where a crew from S&S Builders was working on the Monarch Bridge project. They provided him with a fire extinguisher.

When Williamson returned to the fire, it had already expanded significantly, outpacing his initial attempts to extinguish it.

“It had really only taken me a couple of minutes to get the fire extinguisher, but by the time I got back to the fire, it had grown at least 100 feet longer,” he said.

Despite being underprepared for the growing flames, Williamson was determined to slow the fire’s advance.

He began working to dig dirt and smother the fire’s perimeter. Fortunately, he was joined by several local residents, including the S&S Builders crew, who brought additional fire extinguishers and tools. A sheriff’s deputy and a Wyoming state trooper also arrived, helping with shovels as they worked alongside Williamson.

Several rodeo participants who happened to be passing by also stopped to help, bringing water and more shovels. Williamson expressed gratitude for the collective effort, noting that the support from the community was invaluable.

“Nobody hesitated. We all did what we thought needed to be done. Everybody jumped right in,” he remarked.

As the fire continued to grow, volunteer fire departments arrived with water trucks, effectively extinguishing the blaze, which had reached a couple of acres in size. Williamson noted that, in hindsight, having more shovels and ensuring his fire extinguisher was readily accessible would have improved their response.

Investigators later determined that the fire was likely caused by a discarded cigarette or potentially malfunctioning equipment, as it originated close to the roadway. Williamson stressed the importance of vigilance while traveling through fire-prone areas, particularly given the ongoing Elk Fire, which has already consumed over 76,000 acres.

Reflecting on the day’s events, Williamson acknowledged the fortunate timing of his earlier departure from work, which allowed him to spot the fire before it escalated further.

“I’m not really sure why I had driven that way to get on the interstate. Something just told me to go that way,” he said.

His quick thinking and the prompt actions of bystanders helped avert what could have been a serious wildfire situation.