CASPER, Wyo. — Containment on the Elk Fire fell slightly in recent days as flames continue to spread throughout northern Wyoming.
According to Friday morning reports from the U.S. Forest Service, containment fell slightly from 15% to 14% as the fire grew 2,902 acres. At time of publication, the fire encompasses 79,280 acres.
On Thursday, efforts were primarily focused on battling the southern end of the fire. Starting at the Sheridan Water Treatment Plant and intake facility, crews worked their way southeast, finishing 2 miles of the containment line.
A drone and manned aircraft supported ground crews throughout the day, working to minimize damage to the nearby watershed and infrastructure. Simultaneously, firefighters and heavy equipment worked along Red Grade Road, clearing brush and preparing the road to serve as a control feature if the fire continues southward.
“We’re working to widen [Red Grade Road] and remove vegetation from it,” Elk Fire public information officer Kristie Thompson told Oil City News. “They’re trying to make it a large area without any vegetation.”
On the west side of the fire, firefighters have prepared all structures and are ready to conduct defensive firing operations, should that side of the fire become more active and advance in that direction.
At the northern edge of the blaze, crews are making progress building and securing the fire line near Broderick Flat. Looking ahead, they will make headway in chipping woody debris that accumulated during road preparation work. Aircraft have also been active on the northern perimeter of the fire with water and fire retardant drops.
“We are showing containment now along [the 144 Road] to where it meets the dozer line and comes off of there,” operations section chief Mike Reed said. “They’ve been working hard containing and securing the line, and are feeling pretty comfortable.”
Firefighters are monitoring containment lines on the eastern edge of the fire, ensuring no lingering areas of heat remain within several feet of the perimeter.
Crews have advanced southeast to Crystal Springs, constructing and securing containment lines directly on the fire’s edge. Looking ahead, they will begin to backhaul excess equipment and supplies to be used elsewhere around the fire.
Division supervisor Scott Nielsen said crews have been adjusting approaches with the Elk Fire to be more proactive. Crews have begun using already-burned land to help slow the fires.
“We’ve learned in this fire that we need to be pretty proactive. … With the winds at night and the behavior we’ve seen, we haven’t been very successful in the timber, so we’re building blocks of black line ahead of the fire,” he said. “We’re putting burned grass outside of the timber. That way, when the fire comes on its own out of the timber — where we hadn’t been successful catching it before — it’ll now hit the block that we’ve created, lose intensity and hopefully not continue to the east.”
Weather forecasts present an optimistic outlook, as high humidity levels Thursday night and cloud cover and moist air today should reduce the amount of time the fire will be most active, especially in grassy areas.
This allows firefighters to use aggressive tactics like burning fire lines that were too risky under red flag conditions.
“Early in the fire, the wind and weather had the upper hand, with some days of very strong, gusty winds pushing the fire rapidly to the southeast multiple times,” Thompson said. “Now, we’re able to go on the offensive. Weather has moderated enough that now we’re able to use strategic firing operations.”
Thompson added that while weather conditions have recently taken a turn toward favorable, the region’s terrain presents firefighters with challenges.
“We have certain areas within this fire perimeter where we will absolutely not put firefighters because of their safety being a priority,” she said. “It’s too rugged, and many people in the area will even admit that it’s not safe to go in because of just how rugged it is.
“And on the back, western end of the fire, we have some areas that aren’t only extremely steep, but also have downed timber.”