Wyoming: A massive wildfire engulfed Wyoming’s Bighorn National Forest last week and has now expanded to cover over 73,000 acres as of Tuesday, according to the U.S. Forest Service. Approximately 829 personnel and firefighters have been deployed on the site, and efforts are being made to control the situation and protect nearby communities, the Big Goose municipal watershed, and structures in the Big Goose drainage.
Dramatic visuals of the fire surfaced on the internet.
A community meeting is planned for today in the Bighorn and Story areas at 7:00 p.m. to discuss updates about the fire and evacuations. In the meeting, residents will be asking questions from agency representatives and fire managers.
According to the media reports, the fire is now 10% contained along the northeast edge of the fire, which is north of Dayton. The smoke settling over the Elk Fire is expected to continue, however, this might air operations such as helicopters as they need at least one mile of visibility to operate safely on wildfire. In the northwest, Little Horn Canyon, along the subdivisions near US Highway 14 between Dayton and Burgees, structure protection efforts are underway.
Cabin owners will be granted temporary access to Red Grade Road, announced Sheridan County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday. Approximately 700 cattle were also transported out of the fire zone early Monday morning.
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The cause of the fire is said to be lighting. At a community meeting on Sunday evening, Big Horn National Forest Supervisor Andrew Johnson stated that the largest fire recorded in the forest over the past century was approximately 18,000 acres, taking a month to reach that size.