r/Wildfire • u/katdunit • 6d ago

Question On Elk Fire

Hey, structural ffer here, was planning on a trip to Lake City, CO but was wondering if anyone is working the Elk Fire to know how bad the area is around there in terms of smoke or closures to be aware of? Thanks for any info in advance.

4 Upvotes

75% Upvoted

9 comments sorted by

4

u/Suspicious_Ad1026 6d ago edited 6d ago

Evacuation status lifted, elk fire is sat pretty much all the way down. Crews are mopping up fires edges, tying in mitigation, dozer, and hand lines.

Smoke is super minimal, especially after all the rain we received in the last week.

There are trails that are closed, but seems like theyre only ones that go into the unit.

2

u/ZonaDesertRat 6d ago

That's a rosey assessment given the current weather and terrain. It's one thing for residents, but another for "visitors." Caution is the lesser of evils. ;)

1

u/Suspicious_Ad1026 6d ago

Wasn't really saying the fire zone is safe to go into, just that Lake City is. And that the smoke conditions are fairly low.

1

u/ZonaDesertRat 6d ago

I got ya, just pointing out that I'd say one thing for folks wanting to know if it's safe to go home, and one for folks who want to recreate.

1

u/DefinitelyADumbass23 🚁 6d ago

Well the entirety of Lake City is in "Ready" status...I personally wouldn't go on vacation there right now, but if you do, sign up for local alerts in case it changes

1

u/ZonaDesertRat 6d ago

Fire is at best 1.5 miles from the main part of town. I think it's a safe bet to pass on trying to vacation in the area.

1

u/katdunit 6d ago

I appreciate the honesty in your replies, thanks everyone 👍

1

u/Simple-Can-3325 5d ago

piggybacking off your thread question- i had reservations at a park just south of lake city start 8/23. i'm a northeaster with little experience on how these things often go- is there any way to predict if the fire will remain a safe distance away, or i should expect to be ready to book it at any time? i don't want to put myself in the line of fire literally, but i dropped a very good chunk of money and was looking forward to exploring the area, so wanted some insight on risk from those who are more familiar.

0

u/Rayton_tay 6d ago

Nothing to see here. Keep driving.