As the Elk Fire grew to nearly 50,000 acres in northern Wyoming Thursday, people in nearby Dayton are worried.
“We’ve got families in crisis. We have students that either need to help their families pack and get ready to evacuate – we have a lot of staff members who are actually in the fire department, up there, fighting," said Jeff Jones, Dayton schools superintendent.
The wildfire was started by lightning on Sept. 7 near Dayton and is burning through rugged forest land. It has resulted in numerous evacuations and school closures in the area.
People from all walks of life are coming together to protect places, including the Mountain Inn Bar.
“It’s actually the last retail place before you get up onto the mountain … It’s my life. It’s – it’s the only thing I have," said Denise Townsend, who bought the bar about a decade ago with her late husband.
