Elk Fire in Wyoming grows, evacuations ordered

UPDATE 12:10 p.m. Monday

Fire officials provided this update:

Location: Approximately 6 miles northwest of Dayton, Wyoming
Start Date: Friday, September 27, 2024
Cause: Lightning
Size: (6,312 acres night of September 29) The fire grew at least 8 miles to the south overnight. Maps will be posted once data is available.
Percent contained: 0%
Resources: 7 Hand Crews; 3 Engines; 3 Heavy Equipment; 2 type 1 Helicopters, 1 type 2 Helicopter , 1 air attack, air tankers as available.

FIRE STATUS:

Yesterday, the fire significantly increased in size. All air operations were put on hold for several hours due to high winds. Evacuations were issued along Pass Creek and Sheridan County Road 144, Pass Creek is closed to all non-resident traffic.

As of the morning of September 30, out-building structures have likely been lost. Local Law enforcement and firefighters are working with the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office to notify property owners of structures lost.

Fire crews will focus on working to protect structures along the face of the mountain in the Pass Creek, Smith Creek, and Twin Creek areas. Thank you to Sheridan County Fire for structure protection work all throughout the night of September 29 and early morning of September 30.

A Complex Incident Management Team has been ordered to take over command of the fire. Wyoming Type III will remain in place until a transition can occur.

The objective is to protect critical values at risk. These values include firefighter and public safety, lands and property off National Forest Lands, two cow camps and a radio repeater site.

The strategy is full suppression. The team is utilizing all available tactics with firefighter and public safety as the primary decision driver. The approach to suppress the fire will be conducive to the terrain, conditions, and medical team response time.

WEATHER AND FIRE BEHAVIOR:

The weather is expected to change with much cooler day and night temperatures today. Wind direction is forecasted to change.

AIR QUALITY AND SMOKE:

It is expected that the fire will continue to put up a smoke column, please check the AirNow website at https://www.airnow.gov/ to monitor smoke movement.

CLOSURES:

A closure order is in effect to protect the safety of firefighters and the public. An area including, Forest System Roads 145,150, 114, and portions of 167 and 168 along with Forest System Trails 201, 077, and 428 will be closed to public entry.

Sheridan County has closed Pass Creek Road, Twin Creek, Smith Creek Road, and Tongue River Canyon Road to non-resident travel.

Residences have been evacuated. Law enforcement and fire personnel are contacting affected people directly. If people need shelter for livestock or themselves, please call Sheridan County Emergency Management at 307-752-2174.

This order is being put in place to protect firefighter and visitor safety. The roads are being heavily used by firefighters, including large equipment. If you can, please avoid travel in the general area. If you need to remove personal equipment from the closure area or roads behind it, please contact 307-683-7019.

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Sheridan County Emergency Management issued this notice Monday morning:

Residences in the Horse Shoe Subdivision are now in the SET notice. Any residences in that area should be PREPARED to evacuate as needed.

Residences in Tongue River Canyon area will continue to be contacted by Deputies if there is a need to evacuate.

The Tongue Canyon Road closure has been extended. The road is now closed at Tongue Canyon Road where the pavement turns to dirt in Dayton, near River Road. This is to allow emergency personnel to work in the area.

Road Closures:

· Pass Creek Road (County Road 144 from the intersection of Highway 345 and Pass Creek Road)

· Twin Creek Road (Access off of Railway Ave in Parkman)

· Smith Creek Road (Intersection of Highway 343 and Smith Creek Road)

· Tongue Canyon Road (at the River Road) UPDATED

Important Reminders:

· Please avoid the fire area unless absolutely necessary.

· For updates, continue to monitor the Sheridan County Facebook page.

· If you require shelter for yourself or livestock, contact Sheridan County Emergency Management at 307-752-2174.

· Evacuated citizens concerned about their structures will be updated by Sheriff’s Office or fire personnel if any losses occur.

· DO NOT START FIRES ON YOUR PROPERTY TO BACKBURN. This puts fire personnel at risk.

Sheridan County is committed to keeping the community informed and safe. We thank you for your cooperation and will continue to provide updates as the situation develops.

Sheridan County Emergency Management Phone: 307-752-2174 Follow us on Facebook for live updates.

Hailey Monaco/MTN News

The Sheridan County Sheriff's Office posted this information to its Facebook page :

All residences west the intersection of Tongue Canyon Road and all residences on Amsden Road are now being ordered to evacuate. If you were contacted by Deputies to be SET you are now being ordered to GO.

Residences east of the interaction of Tongue Canyon Road and Amsden Road are now on in a SET status.

At this time, Dayton is NOT under any evacuation orders.

Should a "SET" notice be issued for Dayton, residents will be informed promptly. Notifications will be sent via phone alerts to all residents in the area and posted on the Sheridan County and Sheridan County Sheriff’s Facebook page.

Out of an abundance of caution due to the Elk Fire, Dayton High School will close today at 9:30 AM. While there are no current pre-evacuation or "SET" notices for the Dayton area, Sheridan County continues to use the “Ready, Set, Go” evacuation model to ensure public safety

Road Closures:
• Pass Creek Road (County Road 144 from the intersection of Highway 345 and Pass Creek Road)
• Twin Creek Road (Access off of Railway Ave in Parkman)
• Smith Creek Road (Intersection of Highway 343 and Smith Creek Road)
• Tongue Canyon Road (at the Amsden Road “Y”)
Residents in the Pass Creek area who have been ordered to evacuate have already been contacted directly by Sheridan County Sheriff's Deputies.

Important Reminders:
• Please avoid the fire area unless absolutely necessary.
• For updates, continue to monitor the Sheridan County Facebook page.
• If you require shelter for yourself or livestock, contact Sheridan County Emergency Management at 307-752-2174.
• Evacuated citizens concerned about their structures will be updated by Sheriff’s Office or fire personnel if any losses occur.
• DO NOT START FIRES ON YOUR PROPERTY TO BACKBURN. This puts fire personnel at risk.

Sheridan County is committed to keeping the community informed and safe. We thank you for your cooperation and will continue to provide updates as the situation develops.

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Original Report

RANCHESTER, Wyo. - A wildfire in the Bighorn Mountains near Ranchester in Sheridan County has grown to more than 6,000 acres and authorities have ordered some evacuations.

Residents along Pass Creek Road have been ordered to evacuate and law enforcement and fire personnel were contacting people in the area, officials said in a Monday morning update.

Several road closures are also in affect:

- Pass Creek Road, County Road 144 (from the intersection of Highway 345 and Pass Creek Road)

- Twin Creek Road (Access off of Parkman)

- Smith Creek Road (Intersection of Highway 343 and Smith Creek Road)

- Tongue Canyon Road (at the Amsden Road “Y”)

The wildfire, which was first reported on Friday , was estimated on Monday to have burned 6,312 acres.

Here's the latest information from the Tongue River Fire District Facebook page:

Temporary travel restrictions due to Elk Fire

Sheridan, WY September 29, 2024 —To reduce the risk to firefighters working to protect critical values from the Elk Fire, Bighorn National Forest Supervisor, Andrew Johnson issued an area, road, and trail closure over the weekend. The temporary Forest area closure includes Forest System Roads 145, 150, 114, and 168. Forest System Trails 201, 077, and 428 are also affected by this closure.

Sheridan County Sheriff, Levi Dominguez has also issued a temporary closure on Pass Creek, County Road 144 from the junction with highway 345 to the Wyoming/Montana Stateline. This road is CLOSED.

Three residences along Pass Creek Road are being evacuated due to the Elk Fire. Any further evacuations would be communicated by law enforcement and fire personnel directly to affected people. If people need shelter for livestock or themselves, please call Sheridan County Emergency Management at 307-752-2174.

Please respect the closures on County Road 144 along with the roads listed in the Bighorn National Forest area, road, and trail closure. Please allow firefighters to do their job without delay or interruption. Consider visiting other locations in the Bighorn National Forest and refrain from using roads north of Burgess Junction or from visiting the Burgess Ranger Station.

Please visit the Bighorn National Forest website for information on Forest closures or follow us on Facebook (US Forest Service – Bighorn National Forest) to receive fire updates.

You can look at these links for updates as well.

https://www.facebook.com/sheridancountysheriffwy?mibextid=ZbWKwL
https://www.facebook.com/bighornnf?mibextid=ZbWKwL