Elk Fire Update – October 7 – Sheridan Media

Rocky Mountain Area Complex Incident Management Team 3, Casey Cheesbrough, incident commander

Reporting date: Friday, September 27, 2024

Cause: Undetermined

Size: 72,998

Containment: 10%

Total staff: 680

Location: Approximately 6 miles northwest of Dayton and 6 miles southeast of Dayton, Wyoming

Key messages: The fire is now 10% contained. Additional containment is located on the northeast edge of the fire, north of Dayton. Efforts at the southern end of the fire are focused on taking action to forestall fire movement and protect communities and municipal watersheds in the Big Goose Basin that may be at risk from the fire. The emergency services will work with a variety of resources such as structural protection and fire protection lines to prepare for possible future fire movements.

Current situation: Smoke is settling over the Elk Fire area from fires further west. This is expected to continue and fire activity is likely to remain lower today. This smoke can also impact flight operations, as helicopters need at least a mile of visibility to operate safely during wildfires.

Construction protection work continues northwest of the Little Horn Canyon fire and in subsections along US HWY 14 between Dayton and Burgess Junction. They will patrol and eliminate any sources of heat near buildings. Structural protection is achieved through a variety of methods, e.g. E.g., by removing vegetation near structures, constructing a fire line, and placing hoses and sprinklers where possible. On the east side of the fire, firefighters will continue to extinguish hot areas along established fire lines. Crews will continue to patrol the now contained area.

South of the fire, crews are implementing strategies to protect homes, communities, the Sheridan Watershed and critical infrastructure. The work includes developing a new fire line on Red Grade Road near Bighorn using heavy equipment and multiple firefighters.

Structural protection measures were put in place to prepare Big Goose's water treatment plant for any fires that could enter the area. Efforts continue to minimize fire impacts to the Big Goose Creek watershed, which feeds the water treatment plant.

The safety of firefighters and the public remains our top priority. The tactics used to fight fires are determined by the terrain, fire and weather conditions, and medical response time, with an emphasis on implementing plans and tactics with a high probability of success. Approximately 700 cattle were transported from the fire area this morning. This was possible through the combined efforts of this community and the organizations supporting the fire.

Closures and evacuations: For the most recent evacuation map, visit the Sheridan County Emergency Management website, Sheridan County (sheridancountywy.gov). US Highway 14 remains closed from Dayton to Burgess Junction. Check out today's new press release regarding temporary access to Red Grade Road for cabin owners. For more information about evacuations and road closures, please contact the Sheridan County Sheriff's Office at 307-672-3455 or Sheridan County Emergency Management at 307-752-2174.

The closure of the Bighorn National Forest has been expanded to include the closure of Red Grade Road. Please view the updated order on the Bighorn National Forest website: Bighorn National Forest – Alerts & Closures (usda.gov).

Weather and smoke information: Warm and dry conditions will continue in the fire area today as a high pressure system moves into the area. Winds are expected to be light and terrain dependent throughout the day. Smoke from fires further west may produce smoke shadows and keep temperatures below forecast highs in the mid-60s to lower 70s.

The Moose Fire is expected to continue to build a column of smoke; Information about smoking can be found on the AirNow website (https://www.airnow.gov/).