Folks who live along the eastern face of the Bighorn Mountains in northern Wyoming have been desperate to hear the latest announcement from the U.S. Forest Service about the Elk Fire.
It’s 100% contained.
A devastating late-season wildfire that started less than two months ago and threatened to burn the rural towns of Dayton and Parkman is now totally under control, the agency reported late Thursday.
While the fire hadn’t really been a danger to people or property for a couple of weeks, the news is a huge boost for the spirits of locals, said Jeff Barron, chief for the Tongue River Fire District-Ranchester Fire.
“That’s great news, and it means a lot to a lot of folks,” he told Cowboy State Daily. “Just for the community at large, it’ll be a huge sigh of relief for everyone. This news is a good relief as we go into the holiday season.”
For lifelong Dayton resident Chad Flanagan, the firefighting crews achieving that level of control and confidence “kind of brings some finality to it, a conclusion to what was definitely a harrowing saga, especially when it was only a mile or two from your front door.”
7 Weeks Of Hell
That’s a 180-degree turn from where Flanagan and the rest of his neighbors in Dayton were in the early morning hours of Oct. 5.
It was 3 a.m. when he was abruptly awakened by urgent emergency alerts to pack up and be ready to leave. The Elk Fire was moving fast toward the town.
Later that morning, Flanagan described looking out to the Bighorns looming above the town and seeing something he’ll never forget.
The mountainside “was just a giant glow, the whole face, just glowing orange,” he said.
The fire had exploded by 20,000 acres and started the Elk Fire on a path of accelerated growth, eventually topping out close to 100,000 acres.
Although the town never had to evacuate, Flanagan said he was ready for weeks. He had his vehicle packed and ready to go at all times, as had most of his neighbors.
Although it’s been only about seven weeks since the fire was started by lightning Sept. 27 until being declared 100% contained, it seems like a lifetime, Flanagan said. At the same time, it also seems like the time has flown by.
“In one way, it feels like it’s been a long time, and another way it feels like a short period of time, if that makes sense,” he said. “It’s been a long couple of months here.”
Barron echoed that, saying he and his volunteer firefighters have had a long two months that’s also been very satisfying, helping protect neighbors and friends.
“We were in the thick of it and certainly all the volunteers had to step up before the incident command team got here and in place,” he said. “It’s with a big heart and a lot of pride that I can say that when the community needed us, we were there, and we were ready.”
That Response
Despite the dangerous and volatile nature of the Elk Fire, only two residential homes were burned, something Barron said is hard to believe considering how fast and hot it burned.
“That’s just a miracle,” he said. “Not to degrade the loss, but with a 20,000-acre move in a night, and for us to set up a defensive posture and save those other homes, it was an amazing effort.”
Moving forward, both Barron and Flanagan said the area won’t feel the same until the large burn scars across the Bighorns are gone.
“It’s still really tragic what happened to all that,” Flanagan said. “I haven’t really taken a drive up the mountain yet. I’m sure that will be emotional. We’ve been waiting to take those drives, mentally preparing yourself for what you’ll see. It’s just different now.”
The Elk Fire will be one of those generational events that locals will always remember and bring up in conversation, Barron said.
“This is going to be an event this community is not going to forget,” he said. “They’ll be talking about this for generations.”
Contact Greg Johnson at greg@cowboystatedaily.com
The small, rural Wyoming town of Dayton can only watch and pray as the Elk Fire burns across the mountain face of the Bighorns above. (Photo by Chad Flanagan, Lifelong Dayton Resident) 
The small, rural Wyoming town of Dayton can only watch and pray as the Elk Fire burns across the mountain face of the Bighorns above. (Photo by Chad Flanagan, Lifelong Dayton Resident) 
The small, rural Wyoming town of Dayton can only watch and pray as the Elk Fire burns across the mountain face of the Bighorns above. (Photo by Chad Flanagan, Lifelong Dayton Resident) 
The small, rural Wyoming town of Dayton can only watch and pray as the Elk Fire burns across the mountain face of the Bighorns above. (Photo by Chad Flanagan, Lifelong Dayton Resident) 
The small, rural Wyoming town of Dayton can only watch and pray as the Elk Fire burns across the mountain face of the Bighorns above. (Photo by Chad Flanagan, Lifelong Dayton Resident) 
A fire crew maps out a plan of attack as a column of smoke rises from the Elk Fire in northern Wyoming. (Rocky Mountain Incident Management Team) 
The Clearmont Fire District is among the many agencies helping fight the Elk Fire. (Clearmont Fire District via Facebook) 
At the Elk View Inn near Dayton, the Elk Fire appears intimidating. Although an estimated 7-8 miles away, it appears huge and threatening. The inn is close to Antelope Butte, where a Spike Camp has been established. (Photo by Jacob Joseph, Elk View Inn) 
At the Elk View Inn near Dayton, the Elk Fire appears intimidating. Although an estimated 7-8 miles away, it appears huge and threatening. (Photo by Jacob Joseph, Elk View Inn) 
The small, rural Wyoming town of Dayton sits at the bottom of the Bighorns where the Elk Fire burns across the mountain face. (Photo by Chad Flanagan, Lifelong Dayton Resident)
Greg Johnson can be reached at greg@cowboystatedaily.com.
