Unseasonable, destructive Elk Fire threatens rec areas; others safe but in ‘ready’ evac phase
DAYTON, Wyo. — Public and private infrastructure in western Sheridan County is increasingly threatened by the uncontained Elk Fire, which began with a lightning strike Friday. Officials have closed a large area, including recreational areas, but the fire has already caused destruction in several locations.
At an emergency community meeting in Dayton yesterday, U.S. Forest Service Supervisor Andrew Johnson stressed that firefighters are prioritizing the protection of lives and infrastructure, including recreational areas.
“We’ll continue our efforts on protecting those critical values as well as the infrastructure up in the forest like those places that all of you love to recreate, whether it’s campgrounds, the lodges or resorts,” Johnson said.
(U.S. Forest Service – Bighorn National Forest Facebook)
The Elk Fire has now spread across about 50,000 acres in western Sheridan County, according to the Bighorn National Forest. The map above shows the fire’s proximity to the communities of Dayton and Parkman. As of Wednesday, authorities have evacuated many residences along the rural roads west of these towns.
Dayton and Parkman are in the “ready” stage of Sheridan County’s three-stage evacuation procedure. Residents of these communities should be aware of the fire’s progression and be prepared for a potential evacuation order.
The Tongue River Canyon trails and campground areas lie within the uncontained fire area, according to the Forest Service. While officials have not released a current status update on this recreational area, the fire has certainly impacted it.
Although the closures extend further north and south than the fire’s territory, the entire Bighorn National Forest area is unseasonably dry and warm, a situation that’s compounded by the famous Wyoming wind. That means there’s no guarantee other areas won’t get caught in the flames. Johnson cited the seasonally unprecedented weather conditions as the reason for the fire’s erratic behavior. “The temperatures we’ve been feeling don’t feel like October,” Johnson said.
While closures due to the Elk Fire extend far south into the Bighorn Mountains, the Red Grade Trail System, with its extensive network of hiking trails, remains open, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
Hiking trails between US 16 and US 14 in the Bighorn Mountain Range (Screenshot from Apple Maps)
With U.S. Highway 14 closed from Dayton west to Burgess Junction, residents in the surrounding areas are likely to experience significant smoke. The closure extends for over 10 miles and marks the fire’s southernmost reach.
For more information on the dangers of prolonged exposure to smoke and how to mitigate exposure, see the CDC page on wildfires and their associated health risks.
Ten miles to the south of Burgess Junction is the Antelope Butte Mountain recreational ski area, which could be threatened if the fire continues to grow.
One of the national forest’s famous recreational lakes, Sibley Lake, is also caught in the closure area and is immediately along U.S. Highway 14, just miles from the Elk Fire. The lake offers camping, hiking, fishing and non-motorized boating.
Johnson also warned at the Dayton meeting about the significant risk of new fires igniting due to the widespread dry conditions. He reported that firefighters had already extinguished two escaped campfires in the area.
Despite the efforts of over 200 firefighters on the ground, the Elk Fire remains uncontained and continues to grow. The U.S. Forest Service Bighorn National Forest Facebook page shared the following photos showing the scale of the fire’s impact on the landscape.