DUBOIS - Crews fighting the Purdy Fire, west of Dubois, have built containment lines around 65 percent of the 23,000-acre fire and managers are releasing crews for higher priority fires elsewhere.

Carl Jungck, fire information officer on the Shoshone National Forest in Dubois, said Sunday afternoon that there was still some torching of trees and islands of unburned timber in the Purdy Fire.

Since starting last month, the Purdy Fire has burned nearly 36 square miles on the border of the Shoshone and Bridger-Teton National Forests.

Jungck said containment lines held through high winds last Wednesday. He said much of the remaining work involves mop-up operations and completion of the containment line.

The number of people assigned to the fire has fallen to 412, compared to nearly 600 late last month.

"We are releasing crews, and resources whenever we can, to help out with the larger fires up in Montana, and Idaho," Jungck said. He said one heavy helicopter has been released, leaving one heavy and three lighter helicopters.

Some area residents who had voluntarily evacuated subdivisions near the Purdy fire have begun returning to their homes, Jungck said.

Recent nighttime temperatures have been in the high 20s, Jungck said. He said that has caused the grass in the area to go dormant, which has increased its potential to burn.

"The firefighters have noticed some activity in that grass fuel type. Yesterday, they did pickup a 24-acre spot fire outside the main fire," Jungck said. He said it was under control quickly.

Elsewhere in Wyoming, the Jim Creek Fire 24 miles north of Pinedale has burned about 2,200 acres, or more than 3 square miles. Three firefighters monitored the fire.

The Battle Mountain fire, about 30 miles north of Pinedale, has burned more than 1,300 acres, or roughly 2 square miles. One hundred people are assigned to the blaze. About 60 percent of it was contained.