The Elk Fire in Wyoming grows to 114 square miles and burns two homes

Jesse Ludikhuize, Sheridan County emergency manager, said 3,000 buildings in the region are under an evacuation warning and 500 have already been evacuated. However, the number of those affected is not available, he said. Five other buildings, including pole barns, also burned.

In response to the fire’s spread, the Wyoming Department of Transportation closed Highway 14 from Antelope Butte north to Burgess Junction and Highway 14A from the intersection west to the Sheridan County line Monday morning. Highway 14 from Dayton to Burgess remains closed.

“In the last 100 years, in the modern fire history of the Bighorn National Forest … the largest wildfire we’ve had in the forest was about 18,000 acres,” Andrew Johnson, chief of the Bighorn National Forest, told a crowd gathered at Tongue Creek had gathered in the middle school gymnasium on Sunday evening. “It took about a month for the fire to reach 18,000 acres.

“On Friday evening, this fire grew to 25,000 hectares in a matter of hours,” he said. “So the wind events were unprecedented, the fuel conditions were unprecedented, and it was an uphill battle.”

As of Monday morning, the fire’s area was estimated at 114 square miles (72,998 acres), with only 10% considered contained. The crew fighting the fire has grown to 680 men.

As the Elk Fire grew on all fronts over the weekend, the fire also moved within a few hundred feet of Dayton’s water supply in the Tongue River Canyon, according to the city’s mayor, Clifford Reed.

The fire temporarily knocked out power to the waterworks, which has a backup generator that kicked in before electricians could make repairs.

Reed praised the community for its volunteer help, but also noted that the region has suffered from rumors that have instilled fear and uncertainty among residents. He encouraged anyone with questions to contact city officials, who receive daily updates.

“This fire has now impacted the entire length of Sheridan County from north to south in one way or another,” said Sheridan County Sheriff Levi Dominguez.

The wildfire has advanced so far south along the eastern front of the Bighorn Mountains that measures are being taken to protect the water source of the larger Sheridan community, located on Big Goose Creek about 14 miles southwest of the city.

As the fire spread south, the area from Eaton’s Ranch to the intersection with Beckton Road and south to Big Goose Road and Rapid Creek was placed under a “go” evacuation status Saturday. Homeowners south of Big Goose, including the Black Tooth and Tepee subdivisions, were placed on “set.” Further south, in the town of Story, residents were placed on “Ready” status.

Dominguez urged people to stay away from “go” areas when fires are active, otherwise firefighters would have to tend to people instead of protecting buildings and private property.

“It’s a huge distraction,” he said.

Firefighters hope to go on the offensive to stop the fire’s advance by using heavy equipment to draw a fire line on the southern edge of the fire, said Adam Ziegler, field operations chief for Rocky Mountain Area Complex Incident Management Team 3. However is there at least one such containment The line to the south was skipped during the weekend explosion.

“We’re going to try to take advantage of the weather and the great resources we have,” said Johnson, the forest ranger.

The Elk Fire also moved north toward the Montana border over the weekend as winds blew erratically through the region. When that happened, hand crews and bulldozers moved in to build a fire line and place pumps and portable tanks around homes near Little Horn Road, Ziegler said.

To the south, near Red Grade Road, firefighters established a fire line uphill into the Poverty Flats area to find a “foothold,” according to Ziegler.

Two departments are working in the Burgess Junction area of ​​the Bighorn Mountains to protect structures and look for places to slow the fire’s progress. Forest Road 15 has the potential to serve as a future line of control in this area.

“Strategic options on site are limited as there are some areas where firefighters cannot safely operate and be successful due to fuel conditions and fire behavior,” said Casey Cheesbrough, Rocky Mountain IMT incident commander.

Some resources are being moved south, but there are not enough personnel to monitor the entire fire.

To the south, in the Wind River Mountains, the Pack Trail Fire also grew significantly over the weekend, as gusts of 60 mph helped the fire move 7 miles on the west side. The fire has grown to 90 square miles (58,065 acres) and is being fought by 417 personnel.

According to Incident Meteorologist Shawn Palmquist, warm, dry weather will continue over the next few days, with temperatures rising to the upper 60s in the mountains and 70 to 80 degrees at the base of the Bighorn Mountains. The wind is blowing gently from the west.

Typically highs this time of year are in the 60s, he said.

While the cooler weather is welcome, it has also resulted in smokier conditions that could affect flight operations.

Temperatures are expected to be lower this weekend, but there is a low chance of rain or snow.

A Moose Fire Relief Fund has been set up on GoFundMe. To date, more than 580 people have donated $112,000 to support northern Wyoming’s volunteer fire departments.

Sheridan County continues to offer emergency shelters at the fairgrounds, although they will no longer be staffed 24 hours a day due to an apparent lack of need. The fairgrounds also offer space for livestock and pets, as well as RV parking.