Fire crews are taught to avoid fighting a fire burning below them.

Flames move faster when they travel uphill and firefighters attacking a blaze downhill will have a difficult time retreating back up the slope if the flames suddenly switch directions and head their way.

Still, concern that a nearly 2-acre fire on Casper Mountain could quickly grow and threaten homes led firefighters to attack the flames from above late Monday night. It was one of a handful of challenges facing crews as they battled the West Fork Fire, which was contained Tuesday morning.

The fire, ignited by lightning, was located on a steep, rocky hillside that would present a challenge for most hikers, said Natrona County Fire Protection District Capt. Rick Young.

"An average, recreational backpacker wouldn't go there," he said.

The storm that touched off the blaze didn't roll through Casper until Monday evening, meaning crews had to fight the fire in the dark, with headlamps and the flames themselves providing the illumination.

Fighting a fire at night meant crews had to contend with unseen hazards, said Pat Harshman, assistant chief for the Casper Mountain Volunteer Fire District.

Attacking a fire downhill is unusual, and doing so at night is even less common, according to Young.

"It was one of those things that had to be done," he said.

The decision to attack the fire before daylight was made after consulting the crews on the fire line, he added.

"It was an educated decision," he said.

Reach Joshua Wolfson at (307) 266-0582 or at josh.wolfson@casperstartribune.net.