Weekend weather keeps Elk Fire in check

SHERIDAN (WNE) — Moisture persisted over the Elk Fire through the afternoon and into the evening Thursday, resulting in no fire activity, according to Incident Command officials.

The Elk Fire has consumed 96,179 acres since starting by lightning Sept. 27 and is 44% contained as of 2 a.m. Friday, according to InciWeb.

Cold temperatures, high relative humidity, and precipitation Thursday and through the night resulted in minimal fire behavior and no growth, incident command reported in its daily update Friday morning.

The northern portion of the fire received approximately 1 inch of rain, and the southern side 0.7 inches. Areas above 7,000 feet in elevation received between 5 and 10 inches of snow.

The soaking rain penetrated soils and vegetation, reducing fire behavior immediately and likely for several days; however, stumps and large pockets of dead and down trees will continue to produce smoke.

Firefighters also focused on winterizing almost 250 portable pumps but were pulled off the line early Thursday due to safety concerns regarding the weather.

This story was published on October 18, 2024.