Northern Wyoming News - Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years

WORLAND - Staying safe before, during and after the Aug. 21 solar eclipse was the message conveyed Wednesday night at the public meeting sponsored by Washakie County Emergency Management and the Worland-Ten Sleep Chamber of Commerce.

Washakie County Emergency Management and Homeland Security Director Jeff Schweighart emphasized at the start of the meeting that the only time it is safe to look at the eclipse with the naked eye is when the moon completely blocks the sun.

"With Worland and Washakie County outside the band of totality we'll have to wear glasses throughout the whole event," Schweighart said.

The band of totality that runs through Wyoming is 365 miles long and 70 miles wide starting in Grand Teton National Park, through Casper, Douglas and Torrington.

He said for Thermopolis, the eclipse is expected to begin about 10:20 a.m. with totality at 11:40 a.m., lasting 53 seconds and then the eclipse will be complete about 1:20 p.m. "The entire event will last about three hours," Schweighart said.

While it is never safe to look directly at the sun, the solar eclipse event is an event that entices people to look. Schweighart said proper eye protection is necessary.

He said any solar eclipse glasses must be certified ISO 12312-2 compliant. There are glasses that are compliant being sold at several businesses in Worland, but Schweighart said there are some being sold on the internet that are not legitimate so people need to be careful.

He said welding helmets with a No. 14 lens can also be used but they are more expensive than the eclipse glasses.

Schweighart said an area first responder does have an imprint of the last solar eclipse burned into his retina because proper eye protection was not worn.

DRIVING

In addition to eye safety, Schweighart said transportation is the biggest safety concern.

"All of the focus has been on the I-25 corridor," Schweighart said. The Colorado Department of Transportation is predicting 400,000 travelers on the interstate as travelers head to Casper, which has the longest duration of totality in Wyoming.

Fremont County, he said is anticipating 14,000 to 15,000 additional visitors staying in the area, but that is not counting day trippers. Hot Springs County is expecting 4,500 overnight visitors.

With all the traffic discussion, Schweighart said the corridors from Montana have not been mentioned.

"There's been no discussion about Billings traffic, and they are going to come," he said.

Schweighart said people traveling for the eclipse need to buckle up, do not drive distracted (eating, texting or other actions that distract your eyes from the road), and watch out for distracted drivers and watch out for pedestrians.

"Driving is the biggest risk we have every day, whether for work or play," he said, adding that according to the Wyoming Highway Patrol there have been 87 deaths on Wyoming highways this year, which is up from previous years.

Eating and driving results in a person being 3.6 times more likely to be in an accident and texting and driving is higher than that, Schweighart said.

Schweighart recommends people drive with their lights on to be more visible to other drivers, especially low profile vehicles such as motorcycles and convertibles.

People should expect congestion, especially in Ten Sleep and Wind River canyons. He said local drivers need to be patient as visitors could be driving slow looking at scenery and because they are not familiar with the roads.

He said people should consider arriving early and leaving later to help with the congestion on the highways.

Motorists should also anticipate that there may be some road closures on the day of the eclipse, either because of too much congestion or crashes.

He encourages drivers to check with the Wyoming Department of Transportation on road conditions, either by calling 511 or going online to http://www.wyoroad.info. Schweighart said these two WYDOT services are more reliable than asking friends on Facebook if they know conditions.

Washakie County Sheriff Steve Rakness said they are already seeing considerable traffic through Ten Sleep and on U.S. 16, with peak times in Ten Sleep at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

He added that with many state resources going to the I-25 corridor, "expect if you have a problem on local law enforcement will probably be handling it."

BIOLOGICAL HAZARDS

Some biological hazards to be aware of, Schweighart said, include rattlesnake bites, with Washakie Medical Center stocking up on extra anti-venom. He said rattlesnake bites on pets are up in Natrona County and Carbon County this year.

Other hazards are mosquitoes and West Nile virus, ticks with Rocky Mountain spotted fever and rabbits who can carry tularemia.

"Some people think the wildlife are just going to lay down and take a nap. I think wildlife could be stressed, just like livestock," Schweighart said, cautioning people to be aware of their surroundings and look for wildlife and stray livestock while driving.

FIRE

Schweighart said Washakie County already has burn regulations in place and ban has been requested by County Fire Warden Chris Kocher for Aug. 18-23.

The Bureau of Land Management for the Worland, Lander and Cody field offices put in Stage 1 fire restrictions on July 13. Worland Field Office Manager Mike Phillips said at Wednesday's meeting at the BLM is considering Stage 2 restrictions for the same timeframe as the county. Stage 2 restrictions would ban any open flame.

Stage 1 restrictions include:

-Building, maintaining, attending or using a fire or campfire except within agency-provided fire grates at developed recreation sites, or within fully enclosed stoves with a ¼" spark arrester type screen, or within fully enclosed grills, or in stoves using pressurized liquid or gas.

-Smoking, except in an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials.

-Operating a chainsaw without a U.S. Department of Agriculture or Society of Automotive Engineers approved spark arrester properly installed and working, a chemical fire extinguisher of not less than 8 ounces capacity by weight, and one round point shovel with an overall length of at least 36 inches.

-Using a welder, either arc or gas, or operating an acetylene or other torch with open flame, except in cleared areas of at least 10 feet in diameter with a chemical pressurized fire extinguisher of not less than 8 ounces capacity.

These fire restrictions are in addition to the year-round wildfire prevention restrictions on BLM-administered lands throughout Wyoming, which include:

-Discharging or using any fireworks.

-Discharging of a firearm using incendiary or tracer ammunition.

-Burning, igniting or causing to burn any tire, wire, magnesium, or any other hazardous or explosive material.

-Operating any off-road vehicle on public lands unless the vehicle is equipped with a properly installed spark arrester pursuant to 43 CFR 8343.1 (c).

Phillips said they are looking at stage 2 restrictions in part because they are expecting visitors to the state who are not necessarily wise to the proper etiquette in the outdoors. Restrictions during this time helps reduce risk of wildland fire.

Rakness said he hopes the commissioners approve the requested ban in the county. "The grass in the county is highly volatile, highly combustible," he said, adding that when a bearing when out on a baler in a field on South Flat Road the fire burned quickly through some stubble and standing barley.

As for other safety issues, Rakness said they are monitoring any security and terrorist alerts, which currently are for large metropolitan gatherings. "There are no threats in Wyoming," he said.