DAYTON, Wyo. — The Elk fire in northern Wyoming continues to burn across the Bighorn mountains. Early Saturday morning, residents in Dayton were asked to be ready to evacuate at any moment, as the winds are pushing the fire southwest.
With winds over 60 mph, at about 1 am Saturday morning, the Elk fire reached over 62,00 acres. Residents in Dayton have moved from a "Ready" evacuation status, to a "Set" evacuation status, meaning they need to be ready to evacuate.
"This one... It just got big so quick... and the winds are not in our favor, by any means," says Rhianna Miller, a mother and Dayton resident.
Miller says she used to live in Florida, and would often experience hurricanes, but says this wildfire takes the cake for natural disasters she's experienced.
"It's one thing to prepare for a hurricane, 'cuz you know it's coming. But, this hands down has to be the most terrifying," Miller said.
The reason the Elk fire has been so destructive, according to Sheridan County officials, is because of the high winds and timber in the Bighorn mountains. Where most wildfires burn grass, the Elk fire is burning trees.
"So (grass fires) can be very fast moving, but if... the wind slows down, they'll slow down, and we can get ahead and really cut that off. Well, when it's in a different sort of fuel type, like very heavy timber, it's going to take a lot longer for that fuel type to be consumed," said Kristie Thompson, the Public Information Officer for the Elk fire.
What may be most unfortunate for residents is the fact that, because of these high winds and timber, Elk could burn for weeks.
"So, as long as it's held at bay, and doesn't come closer to town, I would like to go home," said Miller.
Many Wyoming residents are hoping to go home, as many areas have already evacuated, including: South Highway 14, west of Beckon Road, and Eaton Ranch Road. In Montana, some Bighorn County residents are preparing for evacuation, as well.
"(These fires) are very dynamic, very fluid. We're constantly looking at that with the Incident Management Team, the operations, and coming up with a plan. That's our primary goal, to make sure that the public is safe, the firefighters are safe. So when we're seeing the fire move, and the activity change, we are constantly looking at that, and determining where we need to set evacuation notices," said Levi Dominguez, the Sheridan County Sheriff.
As of Saturday afternoon, the fire is zero percent contained, many evacuations are in order, and heavy winds continue to spread across the region. Because of that, there is no way of knowing when Elk fire is to end.
"Until the snow comes, we will likely be seeing smoke," says Thompson.
