After the Elk Fire in northern Wyoming grew to almost 73,000 acres this weekend — destroying two homes in the process — the forecast is finally looking up.
The weather “looks like it’s going to be favorable for us for the next couple of days, and we’re going to try to take advantage of that and gain as much ground as we can,” Mike Reed, the federal operations section chief for the fire, said in a video briefing posted Sunday morning.
With high winds and red flag warnings behind them, firefighters finally expected to gain some containment Sunday.
“So that’s a really good thing,” Reed said.
Since the lightning-ignited fire was detected on Sept. 27 in the eastern front of the Bighorn Mountains, crews have struggled against strong winds, rough and remote terrain and unpredictable fire behavior, among other things.
A map of the Elk Fire as of Oct. 6, 2024. (InciWeb)
Residents choosing to ignore evacuation orders have also affected suppression efforts.
“Sheridan County Sheriff’s office asks the public to please stay out of any designated closed areas,” the department wrote in a Facebook post.
“They are dangerous and public traffic impedes the first responders ability to work the fire. As well, if a citizen is in the fire zone, fire personnel and other emergency management personnel will not be dispatched for rescues.”
While lighter winds are expected to lend firefighters a hand, smoke from fires further to the west is also likely to decrease fire activity since it could keep temperatures lower than forecasted.
“This smoke may also impact air operations as helicopters need a minimum of one mile visibility to operate on wildland fires,” according to the U.S. Forest Service.
The Elk Fire closures expanded Sunday to include forest system roads 14, 11 and 111 in the Bighorn National Forest.
Meanwhile, the sheriff’s office granted cabin owners along the Red Grade Road — which remains closed to the public otherwise — access to their property until 5 p.m. Sunday.
Property owners must check in and check out with law enforcement at the Red Grade Road closure. No trailers or other heavy equipment will be allowed past the closure.
“If there’s any opportunity that we can do this again in the days to come, we will certainly do that. It’s going to be very dynamic, if we’re allowed to do that,” Sheriff Levi Dominguez said in a Facebook live video.
Hundreds of area residents attended a briefing regarding the Elk Fire in Ranchester the evening of Oct. 2, 2024. (Bighorn National Forest)
Dayton, a town of about 900 residents roughly six miles southeast of the fire, remains in a “set” status — meaning residents need to be prepared to evacuate if the status is moved to “go.”
Ready.gov offers tips on preparing for an emergency wildfire evacuation, including familiarizing yourself with the best routes to safety.
The newest evacuation map can be found at the Sheridan County Emergency Management website.
There will be a community meeting Sunday at 7 p.m. at the Tongue River Middle School. It will be recorded and posted to the Bighorn National Forest Service Facebook page.
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