286 acres burn in Red Cabin wildfire in Oregon Basin

CODY (WNE) — Fire departments from Park County responded to a wildland fire last Monday afternoon after a lightning strike ignited a blaze east of Dry Creek and southeast of Cody in Oregon Basin.

Cody Fire responded to the call with four engines to the scene, while Powell dispatched two and Meeteetse sent three engines to the site. The call was received around 2:45 p.m.

The burn area, totaling 286 acres, originated on BLM land, but ultimately affected a combination of state and federal lands, said Brad Purdy of BLM in Cheyenne. The fire was subsequently named and referred to as the Red Cabin Fire.

Jerry Parker, county fire warden and administrator of Cody Fire Department, said BLM released all three departments on Monday following the fire’s containment. Purdy reported that approximately 9,100 gallons of retardant were flown on the fire using an aerial firefighting unit out of Worland.

No flare-ups or secondary ignitions had been reported, and Purdy said on Sunday evening, “BLM considers this incident to be contained.”

Last year, lightning was determined to be the cause of ignition for the Elk Fire in the Bighorn National Forest, which burned 98,352 acres. 

This story was published on July 28, 2025.