Update 12:55 p.m. Friday
The Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office has announced updates to evacuation orders and road closures.
From the Sheridan County Government Facebook page:
UPDATE UPDATE
Ready Set Go area and New Road Closures just announced
Working with the team managing the Elk Fire, the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office has changed the evacuation levels in a few areas and added some new areas. Areas that are now in “Go” or “Set” will see law enforcement presence and will be contact by law enforcement.
New areas in “Go” include:
Eaton’s Ranch
New areas in “Set” include:
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.
New area in “Ready”:
The area west of Bear Gulch Trail to Big Horn Road to Beaver Creek Road to Owl Creek Road and then directly north to Soldier Creek Road and then west to Beckton Road.
New road closures, with access only to locals:
Beckton Hall Road at the intersection with Big Goose Road
Bighorn Road at intersection of Beaver Creek Road
Big Goose is closed at the intersection with Beckton Road
Stay vigilant and respect law enforcement as they work the area.
_______________________________________
Original Report
Fire crews in Wyoming battling the Elk Fire in the Bighorn National Forest are bracing for strong winds.
Fire officials said in a Friday morning update the wildfire is now estimated at 51,115 acres with 0% containment. The fire started by lightning on Sept. 27 and has caused numerous road and school closures and evacuations.
There are currently 528 personnel assigned to the fire, which is being managed by Rocky Mountain Area Complex Incident Management Team 3.
‘Families in crisis’: Dayton remains on edge as Elk Fire burns in Wyoming
Here’s the full text of the Friday morning update:
Key Messages: A Red Flag Warning has been issued by the National Weather Service for Friday at noon until Saturday at 6:00 p.m. The forecast includes temperatures in the upper 70s to low 80s and relative humidity in the teens. Winds are forecast to shift from the southeast to southwest and west during the day, gusting up to 30pmh in the afternoon. Overnight tonight, the winds are expected to shift to be out of the northwest and gusting up to 50mph; this is associated with the passage of a cold front. With this anticipated hot, windy weather, it is likely that there will be an increase to the size of the fire.
With an anticipated increase in fire activity due to critical fire weather today through Saturday, please keep all county and local roads clear. If you stop to look, you could stop first responders.
Current Situation: After having previously used a bulldozer to create a fireline, fire crews utilized an Unmanned Aircraft System to implement a successful burnout operation west of the Horseshoe Subdivision yesterday. By intentionally placing fire on the ground between the fireline and the main fire, fire managers were able control the rate at which the vegetation was burned under calmer conditions. This tactic was utilized to lessen the chance of fire advancing upon structures in the future. Overnight, crews continued burning vegetation to increase the distance between structures and the southeast side of the main fire.
Today, crews will continue preparing structures to be defensible from fire in the Little Bighorn Canyon. Along the eastern side of the fire, crews will continue to extinguish areas of heat along established firelines. This same work will be done in the vicinity of yesterday’s burning operation. 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.
Firefighter and public safety remain the top priority. The tactics used to suppress the fire will be determined by the terrain, fire and weather conditions, and medical response time with a focus on only implementing plans and tactics that have a high probability of success.
Closures and Evacuations: In advance of the forecast weather, additional evacuation levels were added yesterday afternoon by the Sheridan County Sheriff; all previous evacuation levels remain in place. Please contact the Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office at 307-672-3455 or Sheridan County Emergency Management at 307-752-2174 for more information.
US Highway 14 remains closed from Dayton to Burgess Junction. For additional road closures, please visit the Sheridan County Emergency Management website at Sheridan County (sheridancountywy.gov).
ELK FIRE INFORMATION
Fire Information Phoneline: 307-303-7642
Time: 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bighornnf
Email: 2024.elkfire@firenet.gov
InciWeb: http://inciweb.wildfire.gov/incident…/wybhf-elk-fire-2024
RELATED Q2 COVERAGE
Elk Fire in Wyoming reported at nearly 50,000 acres
New evacuations ordered at Elk Fire in Wyoming
Elk Fire at 32,000 acres, Dayton, Wyoming residents remain cautious
Elk Fire in Wyoming estimated at more than 25,000 acres
A skier was killed and another injured after the group they were in triggered a large avalanche while ascending a mountain in western Wyoming.
The large snowslide happened Saturday in a backcountry area about 20 miles east of Grand Teton National Park.
The Teton County Search and Rescue said it received a call to respond to a known avalanche burial on Togwotee Pass just before 12 p.m. on Saturday.
As the group of four people, according to authorities, went up a steep slope at an elevation of 10,400 feet, a large slab of snow about 5 feet thick broke away and slid, fully burying the victim. The second skier was partially buried and had an injury to his leg.
It took rescuers about four hours to reach the scene by skis after a helicopter tried to reach the site but had to turn around because of “challenging” weather conditions.
“(Teton County Search and Rescue) extends its most sincere condolences to the family and friends of the deceased skier,” it said in a Facebook post.
The Bridger-Teton Avalanche Center is investigating the avalanche.
A series of snowstorms have swept through the area in recent weeks, including one on Saturday, said National Weather Service forecaster Jason Straub.
The skier’s death marks the fifth person to be killed by an avalanche in the U.S. this winter.
CASPER, Wyo. — “Taken off of Wyoming 59 Bypass at 7 a.m.,” writes photographer Nathaniel Lax. “It’s a beautiful picture of the sun rising behind the cornerstone of what we do in Wyoming: make energy. The silhouette of the power plants against the beautiful red and orange sky — it’s absolutely captivating.”
Do you have a photo that captures the beauty of Wyoming? Submit it by clicking here and filling out the form, and we may share it!
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The Wyoming Cowboys shot a season-high 69% from behind the arc and erased a 9-point deficit en route to a 70–65 road win at Air Force on Saturday.
“If you don’t like stress, don’t watch us,” UW head coach Sundance Wicks said. “This is what Air Force does to teams, but understand it is a complex scout and you try to play the percentages. I gave a lot of game balls out tonight and we had some big-time plays by big-time players stepping up in big moments.”
Wyoming was led by four players in double figures. Jordan Nesbitt recorded his sixth double-double of the season, finishing with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Kobe Newton scored a team-best 16 points, going 4-of-5 from behind the arc. Dontaie Allen added 14 points going 4-of-4 on 3-point attempts in the process. Matija Belic added 13 points while going 6-of-8 from the field.
Cole Henry added 8 points for the Pokes, and A.J. Wills finished with a game-best five assists.
The Pokes shot 57.1% from the field, the seventh time the team has shot at least 50% this season. UW was extremely efficient from behind the arc, going 9-of-13.
The Pokes opened the game by taking a fast 5–0 lead on an emphatic slam dunk by Henry and a 3-pointer from Newton. However, Air Force went on an 11–0 run using the three ball for an 11–5 lead. The Falcons would push that lead to 14–7 minutes later.
Air Force hit five threes in the first eight minutes to take a 21–12 lead. However, Wyoming managed to respond, and a pair of 3-pointers by Allen made it a 23–18 game roughly halfway through the first half.
A thunderous putback slam from Nesbitt and a triple from Wills made it a 2-point deficit at 27–25 with under nine minutes left in the opening stanza.
Henry tied the game at 27–27 and Belic added an and-one play followed by a triple from Newton, allowing Wyoming to surge ahead with a 33–27 lead as the first half wound down. It was part of a 13–0 run for the Pokes, holding Air Force scoreless for more than five and a half minutes.
After that, though, Air Force proceeded to hold Wyoming scoreless for much of the final four and a half minutes of the half, and the Falcons went into the halftime break with a 36–33 lead.
A Newton 3-pointer about four minutes into the second half made it a one-possession game, down 44–42. About eight minutes later, Allen added a pair of 3-pointers and Belic added a basket to tie the game at 55–55 with eight minutes left.
Nesbitt added a pair of free throws and gave Wyoming a 58–56 lead with just under six minutes left. Wyoming held Air Force without a point for over four minutes and built the lead to 62–56 with just over four minutes left.
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