Full Notification

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FIRE PREVENTION EFFORTS PUT IN PLACE FOR BUDGE DRIVE

Jackson, WY. Fire/EMS personnel install surface water tanks for fire mitigation on Budge Drive.

Jackson Hole Fire/EMS personnel plan to install a number of water tanks interspersed throughout the Budge Drive area in order to respond in case of a fire.  Mike Moyer, Contingency Group supervisor, said, “It’s definitely dry on the hill and we need to have a water supply that we can access in a hurry should it be necessary.”  Power lines on the hill are a concern to emergency personnel should the slide cause damage to those utilities.

The evacuation order remains in place for all residential units in area as well as Walgreens Commercial Space, Sidewinders, Ignite, and the Wine Shoppe & Spirits.  Unified command intends to continually review those areas under evacuation order for the possibility of downgrading any residential or commercial areas to evacuation advisory areas.  “Safety concerns will dictate whether we make any changes to the evacuation area on Monday,” Cole Nethercott, Unified Co-Commander indicated.

The Budge Drive landslide continues to slowly move, causing continued concerns for emergency management personnel.  New earthen cracks in the hillside are appearing and current ground cracks continue to become more visible. The house that sits at the crest of the slide area sits directly over a crack in the earth that continues to widen and deepen causing the house to slowly tear apart from the inside.  The Town Building Department has declared this house unsafe.

The technical engineering and geology team is in the process of streamlining the measurements on the hillside to provide more timely information and they are assessing the feasibility and costs associated with additional borings to install inclinometers in critical locations to more accurately assess and be able to predict the movement.

Budge Drive itself remains passable to one lane traffic with emergency personnel escort.  Homeowners continue to request access to remove items from their home and check on the security of their belongings.  Emergency personnel will continue escorted travel for residents to their home from 9:00AM to 5:00 PM on April 12 and 13 for those needing access to property and possessions over the weekend.  Effective Monday, April 14, escorts back to residential units under the evacuation order will be by appointment only.  Emergency personnel continue to monitor access to the area visually,understanding that residents cannot be forced to leave.  A team of Town officials and emergency personnel are considering all options for alternative access to the Budge Drive neighborhood and hope to obtain access in the near future.

Operations through the weekend include a Community Recovery Center at the Teton County Library in the Auditorium from 10:00am – 5:30pm on Saturday, April 12 and from 1:00pm – 5:30 PM on Sunday, April 13, and 10:00am-4:00pm on Monday, April 14.  Red Cross, Workforce Services and Department of Family Services will be available at the library during those times. The Community Recovery Center is an available resource to any evacuee or affected employee related to this incident. Workforce Services are available for employees seeking unemployment insurance benefits or for businesses regarding employment tax information.  Department of Family Services is an available resource to assist families with longer term housing needs.

Red Cross will continue to work with evacuees on an individual basis to transition from short term hotel access to a Red Cross shelter.  Red Cross is working to secure a Red Cross Shelter for the next few weeks should the need continue to exist.  Wyoming Homeland Security is flying in a disaster specialist tomorrow to assist with the incident as well.

Updates will be provided on a daily basis throughout the weekend with significant and critical information provided via Nixle alerts as well.

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