As the Elk Fire continues to grow and advance southeast along the face of the Bighorn mountains in northern Wyoming, a team of more than 1,000 firefighters is finally turning a corner on one of the most dangerous and unpredictable wildfires in state history.
While it remains very active and volatile — growing again overnight Friday to more than 84,000 acres — it’s now 32% contained. That’s more than double the 14% containment it had 24 hours earlier and has bolstered the spirits of the small army fighting the Elk Fire.
“That’s a huge mental boost,” said Kristie Thompson, spokesperson for the Rocky Mountain Area Complex Incident Management Team assigned to the fire. “There was some cheering at our morning briefing when that was announced.”
Much of that containment comes from intense strategic firing operations, where small pingpong ball-sized incendiary charges are placed with pinpoint accuracy to control how and where the fire burns, she told Cowboy State Daily on Saturday.
At least as much as that’s possible.
That’s allowed firefighters to target “chunks” of land in and around the fire’s boundaries to “intentionally keep it along the face of the mountains,” Thompson said.
At the southeast tip of the fire is where much of the team’s efforts are concentrated, she said. That’s to protect the nearby water treatment plant that serves the city of Sheridan, and also to prepare where they think they can actually stop the fire’s growth.
That would be Red Grade Road, which is undergoing some extensive work to make it a firebreak to stop the Elk Fire, she said.
The road is being widened, having vegetation cleared away from it and nearby trees limbed to reduce the fuels and opportunities for the fire to spread beyond the road.
“We have a double dozer line as a form of protect,” she said about other fire line building measures. “That’s where we have a dozer line, then an area in between we’ve burned, then another dozer line.”
Dozens of firefighters are also building breaks by hand, Thompson said.
Weather Break
One of the reasons for the significant progress Friday and overnight into Saturday is a little break in the unseasonably hot and dry weather.
Cooler temperatures and less wind also helped create conditions with more humidity, which combined to allow firefighting activity to be more aggressive rather than defensive and reactive.
That doesn’t mean the Elk Fire is under control or no longer a threat.
“Fire activity decreased overnight due to moderate relative humidity recoveries, but remained somewhat active,” the incident management team reports. “Humidity recoveries early morning saw moderate improvement compared to previous days, rising to approximately 50%, but continued dry conditions were observed during the day.”
The Elk Fire remains and active and volatile situation, especially along its southeast border. (U.S. Forest Service-Bighorn National Forest) 
A drive along Highway 14 to see the aftermath of where the Elk Fire has burned across the face of the Bighorn Mountains in northern Wyoming shows the magnitude of how the fire has impacted the landscape. (WYDOT District 4) 
U.S. Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyoming, visits with firefighters and support crews at the Elk Fire's base camp Friday, Oct. 11, 2024. (U.S. Forest Service-Bighorn National Forest) 
Firefighters on the ground do strategic burning to help gain control of the Elk Fire. (U.S. Forest Service-Bighorn National Forest)
What’s Next?
The plan is for more of the same Saturday and Sunday, Thompson said.
That means continued efforts to secure fire lines on the active southeast border of the fire, as well as work to “continue to secure fire line along the eastern foothills of the Bighorns to prevent fire impacts to values at risk, including residences and livestock forage," the incident management team reports.
Looking beyond the weekend, more hot and dry weather is expected next week, along with the potential to “escalate” the Elk Fire more, the report says.
The incident complex team has grown to 937 people, which puts the overall army attacking the Elk Fire at well over 1,000 with local resources.
Looking Forward
Those wanting a sneak peek at what the Bighorn National Forest might look like when the Elk Fire is finally a memory got it Friday when a Wyoming Department of Transportation employee drove along Highway 14 through the burn area.
The agency posted a gallery of photos to the WYDOT District 4 Facebook page showing some startling changes to the views of what was once a picturesque drive.
“Many of you may be wondering what the top of our beloved Bighorns look like and how they have endured the Elk Fire,” reads a post with the photos. “Hopefully, these photos will help with a better understanding of the extent of the impact of the fire, the damage and the hidden beauty of this popular drive.”
The photos show huge swaths of blackened earth where the Elk Fire has scorched the face of the Bighorns. But also some areas untouched by the flames.
One striking photo shows burned guardrail posts along the highway with the steel guardrail itself discolored and warped from the fire’s heat.
The elk fire has burned through the posts holding this section of guardrail along Highway 14, and also discolored and warped the steel guardrail. (WYDOT District 4) 
A drive along Highway 14 to see the aftermath of where the Elk Fire has burned across the face of the Bighorn Mountains in northern Wyoming shows the magnitude of how the fire has impacted the landscape. (WYDOT District 4) 
A drive along Highway 14 to see the aftermath of where the Elk Fire has burned across the face of the Bighorn Mountains in northern Wyoming shows the magnitude of how the fire has impacted the landscape. (WYDOT District 4) A drive along Highway 14 to see the aftermath of where the Elk Fire has burned across the face of the Bighorn Mountains in northern Wyoming shows the magnitude of how the fire has impacted the landscape. (WYDOT District 4) 
A drive along Highway 14 to see the aftermath of where the Elk Fire has burned across the face of the Bighorn Mountains in northern Wyoming shows the magnitude of how the fire has impacted the landscape. (WYDOT District 4) 
A drive along Highway 14 to see the aftermath of where the Elk Fire has burned across the face of the Bighorn Mountains in northern Wyoming shows the magnitude of how the fire has impacted the landscape. (WYDOT District 4) 
A drive along Highway 14 to see the aftermath of where the Elk Fire has burned across the face of the Bighorn Mountains in northern Wyoming shows the magnitude of how the fire has impacted the landscape. (WYDOT District 4)
Odds And Ends
• U.S. Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyoming, made a visit Friday to the small temporary city that’s been set up to support the nearly 1,000 firefighters and support personnel fighting the Elk Fire.
• There are numerous examples of people donating food, water, snacks and money to help the firefighting effort. And apparently also someone who has a warped sense of humor. Seems someone’s reportedly been calling businesses in the area to place huge fake orders for food citing it’s for firefighters.
• Contrary to what some people are posting to social media, the Elk Fire is not the largest wildfire actively burning in the United States. It’s the fourth. The largest is in Idaho and is about 175,000 acres.
Greg Johnson can be reached at greg@cowboystatedaily.com.
