Albany County urges wildfire prep after dry winter raises risk

A dry winter has left Albany County with parched grass, lighter snowfall and rain, and a much narrower margin for error when spring winds arrive. County emergency managers are urging residents in Laramie, Rock River, Centennial and the county’s rural stretches to treat wildfire prep as urgent now, not after smoke is already on the horizon.

The warning comes after Albany County commissioners banned all outdoor fires, fireworks and incendiary or tracer ammunition in the unincorporated county beginning March 25 and lasting through no later than Nov. 1 unless the county fire warden lifts it sooner. Wyoming Game and Fish followed with an open fire ban on Commission-owned and administered lands in Albany, Goshen, Laramie and Platte counties on April 1, citing extreme drought conditions and rising fire danger. The message from local agencies is clear: the county has already moved into restriction mode, and the landscape is dry enough that a single spark can spread fast.

National fire indicators have moved in the same direction. The National Interagency Fire Center said U.S. fire activity increased in March, with national preparedness rising to level 2 on March 20. By March 31, 1,615,683 acres had burned nationwide, or 231% of the previous 10-year average, and 16,746 wildfires had been reported, 168% of average. More than 56% of the country was in drought, underscoring why Albany County officials are pressing residents to get ready before the first major local fire.

Albany County has already seen how quickly a grass fire can turn into a public-safety problem. A fire about 20 miles southwest of Laramie burned just over 32 acres in mid-March and prompted mandatory evacuations before it was contained. A November 2025 grass fire west of Laramie burned 56 acres, forced evacuations and temporarily closed roads. The 2020 Mullen Fire burned 176,878 acres and destroyed 66 structures, a reminder that Albany County’s fire threat can move from roadside grass to homes and infrastructure with little warning.

Emergency managers say residents should make sure they can receive alerts, leave early if ordered and move livestock, vehicles and equipment without delay. Albany County Emergency Management & Homeland Security says it plans for, coordinates and supports disaster response and recovery, and the county asks residents to sign up for Albany County Alerts. With the season already restricted and the ground still dry, officials want households from the edge of Laramie to the back roads near State Game and Fish lands to know their escape routes before fire and wind choose the timing for them.