A fire in the Bighorn National Forest, ignited when a Georgia couple crashed their single-engine plane on a Powell to Buffalo flight, is still burning.

Dubbed the Gem Lake Fire, two large Chinook Helicopters, assisted by a smaller helicopter and a crew from Gila National Forest Helitack have successfully prevented significant growth on the fire over the past few days. Use of these helicopters will continue as long as needed, according to the forest’s public affairs specialist Sara Evans Kirol. 

The Blacktooth and Black Hills Wildland Fire Modules are establishing a spike camp to engage with suppression efforts from the ground.

To protect public and firefighter safety, an emergency closure order is now in place for the area around the fire and includes Forest System Trail 040 in the North Rock Creek area.

“The strategy continues to be full suppression with firefighter safety as the top concern,” Kirol said in a press release Monday morning.  

A military helicopter will be on standby to provide firefighter assistance in the event of an accident or injury. The Gem Lake Fire started the afternoon of July 14, 2022, when the couple’s plane went down. 

Charles “Charly” Schell and Kelli Taylor Schell were killed in the accident. Schell was the Chief Executive Officer of Bison Advisors, an investment adviser firm based in Hartwell, Georgia. 

The two were known for “extensive work with charities and contributions to the community,” according to the announcement. They founded Toughest Kids, Inc., a charity to help Goldstar children finding themselves in less than ideal circumstances, the Apache Warrior Foundation announced on Facebook Sunday.

“I cannot think of another couple who touched more lives or gave of themselves without end like these two did,” said friend of the family, Allison Didier.

The Big Horn County sheriff said the investigation is ongoing and that additional details would be released as they became available.

Fire restrictions have been increasing across the state, including on many Wyoming Game and Fish Department owned properties, in National Forest Service properties and on Bureau of Land Management public lands.

Due to dry conditions and high fire danger, Stage 1 Fire Restrictions will begin July 28 on public lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management Wind River/Bighorn Basin District’s Cody, Lander and Worland field offices in Big Horn, Carbon, Fremont, Hot Springs, Natrona, Park, Sweetwater and Washakie counties. 

“These fire restrictions are the result of current and projected weather conditions, amount of dry vegetation, and coordination with our fellow wildfire cooperators throughout the area,” said BLM Fire Management Officer Fred Tucker. 

Yellowstone National Park increased its fire danger warning to “high” last week but have yet to issue fire restrictions.

Currently, there are no fire restrictions in place or planned in the park. Campfires are only permitted within established fire rings in campgrounds and some backcountry campsites and the fires must always be attended and cold to the touch before abandoning. “Soak, stir, feel, repeat,” the park said in a Friday press release.