DAYTON, Wyo. — More than a month since the Elk Fire started in the rugged wilds of the Bighorn National Forest, the fire is now nearly contained. While crews are unable to assess the remaining 12% of perimeter line due to terrain challenges, they are cleaning up and returning fire lines that are no longer needed back to their original state.
In the Bighorn National Forest Facebook page‘s most recent update, the U.S. Forest Service said that the 88% figure is a conservative estimate of containment since crews can’t actually investigate themselves. Therefore, there is a chance that even more of the fire’s perimeter is void of fire activity than what the page states.
Either way, crews are now focused on repair of suppression areas where buildings and other infrastructure like fences had to be altered or cut. Dozer lines are also being repaired, according to the Forest Service.
“The Repair Group includes two hand crews, each with 20 firefighters,” the Forest Service said. “They are using hand tools to cut through and flatten dozer line berms, and even building water bars on repaired line to help channel water off the line to reduce erosion.”
While large portions of the forest and adjacent roads have reopened, portions of Red Grade Road, a major artery through the Bighorns, remain closed. This is so crews can construct fuel breaks with logging equipment. Additionally, the Bighorn National Forest has yet to be completely reopened, but closures have been reduced significantly per the Forest Service’s ongoing closure order.
While the Bridger-Teton National Forest is ceasing its daily updates on the Pack Trail Fire in western Wyoming, the Bighorn National Forest Facebook page has made no indication of following suit. Therefore, the public can continue to hear about ongoing containment efforts straight from the Forest Service itself here.
