Wyoming
Massive wildfire in Wyoming expands to over 75,000 acres
A massive wildfire continues to ravage Wyoming’s Bighorn National Forest, growing to over 75,000 acres as of Wednesday, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Initially sparked by lightning, the Elk Fire is threatening nearby communities, infrastructure and critical resources.
More than 829 firefighters and other personnel have been deployed to battle the blaze as containment efforts intensify. The fire is only 16 percent contained, leaving officials and residents on high alert as they prepare for potential evacuations.
Increased fire behavior was reported early Wednesday morning because of high winds and low humidity. At around 3 a.m. Mountain time, gusty winds intensified fire activity northwest of the Big Goose Water Treatment Plant, the U.S. Forest Service said in a post on Facebook. Firefighters working the night shift, including a dozer, a Hotshot crew and eight engines, quickly responded to the area.
Rebecca Noble/The Billings Gazette via AP
“The weather today will be warmer, drier and the fire will likely be more active. Numerous aircraft are assigned to the incident and will be conducting water and retardant drops,” the post continued.
A community meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. in the Bighorn and Story areas, where fire officials and agency representatives will provide updates on the firefighting efforts and address concerns about evacuation plans and protective measures, the U.S. Forest Service said.
Attendees will get an update on the fire and evacuations and will also have an opportunity to post questions to agency representatives and fire managers.
Firefighting crews continue to battle the fire on multiple fronts, with a focus on containment and protection of critical infrastructure. The northern side of the fire remains highly active, particularly around steep drainages producing heavy smoke near Little Bighorn Canyon.
On Tuesday, a crew conducted strategic firing operations, and aircraft dropped fire retardant along the 144 Road. Crews will continue to prepare this area on Wednesday, with more firing operations planned to protect the canyon.
Containment efforts are slowly progressing, with containment on the northeastern side of the fire increasing from 10 percent to 16 percent over the past day. Firefighters have constructed containment lines, both natural and man-made, to prevent further spread.
Firefighters face challenging conditions, as unseasonably hot and dry weather is expected to peak on Wednesday, with southwest winds gusting up to 20 mph. The dry vegetation in the area remains highly flammable, contributing to increased fire activity and smoke production, particularly on the fire’s western and southern sides.
Residents concerned about air quality are encouraged to check updates on the AirNow website (airnow.gov). The Sheridan County Sheriff’s Office downgraded evacuation status for certain areas on Tuesday.
The zone, which includes Slack Road near the Montana border and stretches southwest toward the Kerns Elk Refuge, has been moved from “Go” to “Set” evacuation status. While the situation has slightly improved, nearby residents are urged to remain vigilant and prepared for potential changes.
This wildfire, now the largest seen in Bighorn National Forest in over a century, continues to pose significant risks to the region as firefighting teams work tirelessly to contain it.
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Wyoming
Fourth Annual Wyoming Firearms & Outdoor Recreation Expo, Wyoming Governor’s Match returning to Casper July 18, 19
CASPER, Wyo. — The Wyoming Office of Outdoor Recreation recently announced that the community is invited to a series of events happening on July 18 and 19.
The weekend will feature the Wyoming Governor’s Match, as well as the Firearms & Outdoor Recreation Expo.
A release from the Wyoming Office of Outdoor Recreation says that the 10th Annual Wyoming Governor’s Match, hosted in partnership with the Casper Shooter’s Club, will run July 18–19 at the Stuckenhoff Shooters Complex, 10 minutes outside of Casper.
The event will bring together spectators, shooting sports organizers and elected officials to interact with more than 360 competitive shooters from across the country.
Eye protection is required for spectators, and ear protection is highly recommended.
Additionally, on Saturday, July 18, the fourth annual Wyoming Firearms & Outdoor Recreation Expo is taking place at David Street Station from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The expo is free and open to the public, and it will feature exhibitor booths, a legislative panel and family-friendly activities. It will also feature local food and drink vendors, including WY Knot Pretzel Co., The Dog House and Kuver’s BBQ.
Expo attendees will be able to explore products and gear and will be able to witness demonstrations by the following Wyoming-based brands and organizations:
- 3C Guiding LLC
- 9×19 Fabrication
- ACG
- Adventure Ready RV Solutions
- Cutting Edge Tactics and Training
- Diamond R Saddlery
- DVL Custom Lures
- FEROX
- Freedom Tactical Firearms
- Guardian Warrior Solutions
- Gunwerks
- High Carbon Mercantile
- Kimber Tracks Big Game Recovery/Rocky Mountain Big Game Recovery
- Lucid Optics
- Maven Optics
- MOD Outfitters
- National Wild Turkey Federation
- Red, White and Blued
- Ridgeline Customs LLC
- Rocky Mountain Discount Sports
- Scouting America
- Sheridan Fly Rod Co.
- Thunder Beast Arms
- Wilkinson Tactical
- Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality
- Wyoming Game & Fish Department
- Wyoming Gun Company
- Wyoming Motorcycle Trials Association
- Wyoming Patriots
The release notes that from 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., the Wyoming Office of Outdoor Recreation will facilitate an Outdoor Recreation Legislative Panel on the lawn of David Street Station. The panel discussion is also free and open to the public and will offer legislators and elected officials an opportunity to discuss the importance of growing and sustaining the outdoor recreation and shooting sports industry.
To RSVP or learn more about the Wyoming Firearms & Outdoor Recreation Expo, visit wyorec.info/Expo2026.
To register or learn more about the Wyoming Governor’s Match, visit wyorec.info/GovMatch2026.
Related
BILLINGS — Two Wyoming women escaped unharmed after a black bear attacked their tents in the Big Horn Mountains while they were still inside.
Friends Maggie Bassett and Shonna Dehl were on a camping trip when the bear began tearing into their tents while they were asleep on Sunday night.
Click here to hear the story:
Wyoming women escape black bear attack on their tents in the Big Horn Mountains
“It was so scary,” Bassett said.
Basset said it jolted them and their four dogs awake and that both women were shocked at the bear’s behavior.
“It wanted in the tents,” Dehl said. “That’s all it wanted. It didn’t matter what we did.”
Dehl and Bassett proceeded to yell and scream at the bear, even firing gunshots in its direction in an effort to scare it away. None of those efforts worked.
“It was not scared at all,” Bassett said Wednesday afternoon in an online web call. “It didn’t even blink. It just kind of circled around and came back at me from a different angle.”
“It was circling us,” Dehl said. “It felt like it was circling our campground.”
Eventually, the bear scattered away after more gunshots were fired. Then, the two women fled to their vehicle, hiding out for a couple of hours and honking their horn to keep the bear away.
“We were in there for at least an hour,” Dehl said. “Just scared and shaking.”
Eventually, the two drove away unharmed and made their way to Dehl’s family cabin a few hours away.
When they returned the next day, they found their tents collapsed and torn to shreds. Wyoming Game and Fish responded and told the two women they plan to trap the bear and relocate it.
Both Bassett and Dehl said it was a frightening ordeal, especially because they followed all bear-aware protocol, including using bear containers.
“I will never forget that sound of my tent being ripped open,” Bassett said.
Chrissy Webb with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has not been involved in the investigation but said a bear’s memory can bring it back to places where it has encountered unnatural foods before.
“You know it’s not unreasonable for a bear to return to a site where they’ve gotten food in the past,” Webb said. “When bears start accessing those unnatural human-based food is when we start to see bears that can be potentially dangerous because, you know, they’ve got conditioned by this food.”
Webb said there is no way to know if that is what happened in this case, but staying bear aware is crucial for both campers and the animals.
“It’s safer for you to store things properly, and it’s better for the bear’s sake if they’re not able to access those human foods,” Webb said.
For Bassett and Dehl, it’s an experience that has changed the way the two plan to go camping in the future.
“I don’t see myself sleeping in a tent anytime soon, maybe never,” Bassett said.
“Yeah, we’re going to need four walls,” Dehl said.
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