Containment jumps to 44 percent on Elk Fire as rainy weather advances

SHERIDAN COUNTY, Wyo. — A weather system brought rain and snow — and some relief to fire crews — as containment reached 44 percent on the Elk Fire in the Bighorn National Forest.

Firefighting efforts were delayed Friday morning for safety reasons, but firefighters said the fire did not grow overnight and remained at about 96,179 acres. As of Thursday morning, firefighters estimated containment at 28 percent.

The number of firefighters assigned to the incident has also been reduced from just over 900 in recent days to 714 on Friday. Evacuations have also been downgraded, according to a Friday morning update.

The Elk Fire started on September 27 because of lightning and was fueled by above-normal temperatures, forcing numerous evacuations, road closures and other impacts. A weather system moved in on Thursday and brought up to an inch of rain to some areas of the fire. Snow was forecast overnight up to 5 inches in some areas.

RELATED: Blessing to have’: Sheridan County residents relieved by rain during Elk Fire

Here’s the full update:

Key Messages: Both Sheridan County and Johnson County downgraded several evacuation statuses yesterday. For detailed information about the changes in Sheridan County, visit facebook.com/sheridancountysheriffwy. For Johnson County, visit facebook.com/JohnsonCoWYEMC.

Cabin owners along Red Grade Road will be able to experience the road closure today from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. to prepare their cabins for winter. Additional opportunities may be available in the future as fire conditions permit. For detailed information on requirements, visit the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page: facebook.com/sheridancountysheriffwy.

Today at 6 p.m., after 18 days of managing the Elk Fire, the Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team (CIMT) 3, under the leadership of Incident Commander Casey Cheesbrough, will transfer command of the incident to the Rocky Mountain CIMT 1 , under the leadership of Incident Commander Dan Dallas. Team 3 is extremely grateful for the outpouring of support, generosity and gratitude expressed by residents and communities affected by the fire.

Current situation: Overnight, firefighters were housed at the Sheridan County Fairgrounds and Sheridan County Community College because of continued winter weather. “This situation is very challenging and very dynamic with the severe weather, but we will always be proactive in caring for our firefighters,” said Casey Cheesbrough, Elk Fire incident commander.

The decision to put firefighters back on the fire line today will be evaluated throughout the day. Crews assessing fire and road conditions will do so on hard surface roads to minimize damage to gravel and dirt roads and trails saturated with recent precipitation.

Weather and Fire Behavior: Cool temperatures, high relative humidity and precipitation yesterday and overnight resulted in minimal fire behavior and no growth. The northern portion of the fire received approximately 1 inch of rain and the southern portion received 0.7 inches. Areas above 7,000 feet in elevation received between 5 and 10 inches of snow. The winter weather warning remains in force until 6pm today, bringing the possibility of additional precipitation before a short-lived warming, drying trend begins tomorrow. The torrential rain penetrated the soil and vegetation, reducing fire behavior immediately and probably for several days; however, stumps and large pockets of dead and fallen trees will continue to produce smoke. For air quality and smoke information, visit airnow.gov.

Evacuations and Closures: For Johnson County evacuation information, visit Johnson County WY Emergency Management. For information about evacuations and road closures in Sheridan County, visit the Sheridan County Emergency Management website: sheridancountywy.gov/newslist. You can also call the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office (307-672-3455) or Sheridan County Emergency Management (307-752-2174). US Highway 14 is closed between Burgess Junction and Dayton. View the Wyoming Department of Transportation’s road closure map here: wyoroad.info. Bighorn National Forest Closure Order #02-02-06-24-08 is in effect. The order and map can be viewed here: fs.usda.gov/alerts/bighorn/alerts-notices.

Elk Fire Information:
Phone: 307-303-7642 (8am to 8pm)
Email: [email protected]
Linktree: linktr.ee/2024ElkFire

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