Elk Fire Update – Oct 15

Rocky Mountain Area Complex Incident Management Team 3

Casey Cheesbrough, Incident Commander

Size: 91,905 acres (2,590-acre increase)

Total Personnel: 939

Containment: 26 percent

Cause: Lightning

Resources: 13 aircraft | 19 crews | 67 engines | 8 dozers | 19 water tenders | 5 masticators | 8 skidders | 5 feller bunchers 4 processor | 3 chippers

Key Messages: Expect increased fire activity and smoke today because of unseasonably warm temperatures, low humidity, and extremely dry fuels.

The Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office released updates to evacuation statuses and road closures yesterday. Evacuation status for an area southwest of Dayton near Horseshoe Road changed from Go to Set, allowing residents to return to the area. Some roads near Dayton, Parkman, and Sheridan were reopened to the public. For more detailed information about evacuation statuses and road closures go to the Sheridan County Emergency Management website: tinyurl.com/2s38bcc5.

Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) opened portions of US 14 and US 14A previously closed due to the Elk Fire. WYDOT opened US 14 from Greybull to Burgess Junction and US 14A from Burgess Junction to Lovell.

US 14 from Burgess Junction east to Dayton remains closed. View the WYDOT road-closure map here: wyoroad.info.

Current Situation: Warm, dry conditions yesterday intensified fire activity. Along the southern edge, the fire continued to move southeast toward the seven-mile-long control line that was created over the last several days. Overnight, it crossed Rapid Creek. Night operations inserted a hotshot crew, that created handline to slow the fire’s forward progression at the Forest Service Trail 238. 

Further south of the fire, crews continued the ongoing work of widening and clearing trees and vegetation with heavy equipment along Red Grade Road. Today, additional crews from the recently completed chipping operations along the 144 Road north of the fire will join in the work along Red Grade Road.

Crews continue to improve structure protection in the Burgess Junction area, while also using heavy equipment to widen and clear the 15 and 16 Roads to create a box of fireline around the area.

An aerial reconnaissance flight detected some fire activity in the northwest corner of the fire yesterday. Crews worked quickly to create a control line and secure the area. Patrols will continue in the northwest corner of the fire, along the north side near the 144 Road, and along the containment line on the eastern side of the fire to mop-up any hotspots.  

Weather & Fire Behavior: Today’s temperatures will be up to 20 degrees higher than normal for this time of year and will combine with relative humidity as low as 16 percent to produce a high probability of significant fire activity and smoke production. For air-quality and smoke information, go to airnow.gov.

Evacuations and Closures: For information on Johnson County evacuations, go to Johnson County Emergency Management’s Facebook page: facebook.com/JohnsonCoWYEMC. For info on Sheridan County evacuations and road closures, go to the Sheridan County Emergency Management website: tinyurl.com/2s38bcc5. You can also call the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office (307-672-3455) or Sheridan County Emergency Management (307-752-2174). The Red Cross has an evacuation center at the Sheridan County Fairgrounds that can accommodate people, RVs/campers, pets, and livestock.  

Call 307-752-2174 or 307-683-6965 to make arrangements. US Highway 14 is closed between Burgess Junction and Dayton. View the Wyoming Department of Transportation road-closure map here: wyoroad.info. Bighorn National Forest closure has been expanded to include Forest System Roads 319 and a portion of 226 and Forest System Trail 200 and a portion of Trail 038 under Order 02-02-06-24-08. The order and map can be viewed here: fs.usda.gov/alerts/bighorn/alerts-notices.