JACKSON (WNE) — The Mesquite Fire continued to creep across the forest floor in the Jedediah Smith Wilderness and did not grow in size, Teton Basin District Ranger Jay Pence said Wednesday evening.

Caused by a lightning strike, the fire was first spotted Monday along the border of the Bridger-Teton and Caribou-Targhee national forests. The fire is 1/10th of an acre and burning near the headwaters of Moose Creek in the Mesquite drainage west of Phillips Pass.

The fire is cradled in an area tucked between Taylor Mountain and Rendezvous Peak, a popular hunting area this time of year. Forest crews are working to keep the fire in the drainage area. There are currently no closures for the area.

The Mesquite Fire will likely continue to smolder until a sizable weather event puts it out, Pence said. It could burn through late fall.

“This is a great opportunity to use fire to clean up dead trees that will reduce the fire danger for possible future fire events under more extreme conditions,” Pence told the Jackson Hole Daily.

Pence said hunters and hikers should be aware of the fire and be cautious. If the fire does grow, Pence said, closures could occur around the popular wilderness hunting area.

Pence credited the 2021 prescribed burns on Phillips Ridge through the Teton to Snake Fuels Reduction Project as a major force in keeping blazes such as the current Mesquite Fire from becoming a significant threat to the public.