Rollie Wells Knori, 28, died early Wednesday morning in a cabin fire in a cabin off Sagebrush Drive, according to Teton County Coroner Dr. Brent Blue.
Knori was a 2015 graduate of Jackson Hole High School and has one sister. Blue said the cause of death was under investigation and would take several weeks to determine.
The cause of the fire is also under investigation by Jackson Hole Fire/EMS.
Fire/EMS Deputy Chief of Operations Brian Coe said a total of 33 members of the crew contributed to suppression and no first responders were injured. According to Coe, the first call to dispatch came in at 2:13 a.m. on May 28. A Teton County Sheriff’s Office deputy arrived on scene at 2:23 a.m. and attempted rescue but heavy fire and smoke did not allow entry, according to a county press release. The first fire engine arrived on scene at 2:29 a.m. from the town of Jackson’s Station No. 1, Coe said.
Fatal structure fires are rare in Teton County.
“Yes, we’ve had several deaths with structure fires in Teton County, but it’s been a while,” Coe said.
In 2015, a 28-year-old man died in a dormitory fire in Colter Bay.
Coe says it’s important to double check electronics like fans and air conditioners this time of year as days get hotter.
The department has been considering another station between the town of Jackson and Moran, which would have covered the area of this cabin. Friends of Gros Ventre Fire Station filed as a Wyoming nonprofit in April 2023 to try to raise money and support for the potential station.
“Those those discussions are still ongoing and kind of based upon some strategic planning that we currently have underway,” he said.
