Gordon provides support amid Elk Fire

SHERIDAN (WNE) — Gov. Mark Gordon has authorized the deployment of the Wyoming National Guard to support the Elk Fire with on-site medevac resources for firefighter safety and use, if necessary.

Two additional fires, the Fish Creek and Pack Trail, in Teton and Fremont Counties, have burned more than 43,000 acres combined and have 299 personnel battling the wildfires. The Bridger-Teton and Shoshone National Forests have delegated the California Complex Incident Management Team 10 to manage both fires, which are located south of Togwotee Pass.

Gordon is responding to the wildfires by directing all available state fire resources to be utilized for active fires and new starts. These include Wyoming State Forestry helicopter and helitack firefighters, two Single Engine Air Tankers (SEATs) and Wyoming Smokebusters.

The state is also cooperating with the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management state-wide, who are providing additional aviation resources, including Large Air Tankers, SEATS, helicopters and scooper planes. Ground resources, such as hotshot crews, Type 1 and 2 hand crews, and engines are also being directed for suppression response.

This story was published on October 9, 2024.