CASPER, Wyo. — The towns of Dayton and Parkman are in the “ready” stage of Sheridan County’s three-stage evacuation procedure as Elk Fire incident managers brace for at least 24 hours of red flag conditions, including expected 50 mph wind gusts overnight into Saturday.
“With this anticipated hot, windy weather, it is likely that there will be an increase to the size of the fire,” the Friday morning update said.
The fire has burned 51,115 acres in the Bighorn National Forest since it was started by lightning 6 miles northwest of Dayton on the evening of Friday, Sept. 27.
Sheridan County emergency managers advised Thursday night of areas now under the second-tier “set” evacuation notice:
- South of Twin Creek Road from Parkman, north of Amsden Road, and west of Wyoming Highway 343. This includes residences along Smith Creek Road and Columbus Creek Road.
- Eaton’s Ranch
New areas in “ready” include:
- South of the Montana state line to WYO 343, east to Interstate 90, and east to Barker Road. This includes residences in the Parkman Hills Subdivision and residences along the west side of Barker Road.
- West of Beckton Road from Dayton, continuing south to the intersection of Beckton Road and Big Goose Road. This also includes the area west of Rapid Creek Road.
US Highway 14 remains closed from Dayton to Burgess Junction. Additionally, Columbus Creek Road is closed at the intersection of WYO 343 and Columbus Creek Road.
Fire managers reported that Thursday’s operations included burnout operations west of the Horseshoe Subdivision where structures are present. The tactic is used to burn up vegetation ahead of the main fire’s possible advance. Burnout operations on the fire’s eastern perimeter were visible from the town of Dayton on Thursday, and part of Friday’s operations includes monitoring and management of those areas.
Crews will continue preparing structures to be defensible from fire in the Little Bighorn Canyon.
“Around the perimeter of the fire, crews will use a variety of structure preparation techniques, including the removal of vegetation near structures, constructing fireline, and placing hose and sprinklers where possible,” Friday’s update said.
