Fire Update – Elk Fire
Friday, July 31, 2026 – 8:00 a.m.
Rocky Mountain Complex Incident Management Team 1
Justin Conrad, Incident Commander
Information Phone: 970-299-5357
Email: 2026.elk@firenet.gov
Information Staffing Hours: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Current Situation: Growth on the fire is virtually at a standstill. Firefighting equipment such as hoses, pumps, and tools were removed from the established containment lines near Elk Creek. This process is often referred to as backhauling. That equipment was helicoptered back to the Elk Fire Spike Camp staging area to be cleaned, rehabilitated, and returned to the local cache for future use.
Heavy equipment and operators in Division A continue to support suppression repair operations on the 7868 Road while handcrews are working alongside, clearing brush and wood debris from roads used as fireline.
Fire managers are evaluating the area east of the fire to determine when and where to remove proactively placed water-delivery structure protection equipment.
Division X is unstaffed at the south end of the fire, as County Road 20 is utilized as line and does not require suppression repair. Firefighters and aircraft support are still available to respond to any new fire starts as needed.
Weather and Fire Behavior: As moisture levels diminish rapidly, warmer temperatures and afternoon humidities trend drier over the weekend, with only a stray shower or thunderstorm possible.
Evacuations: Current evacuation information is available for Hinsdale County at hinsdalecounty.colorado.gov.
Closures: The Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison (GMUG) National Forests closure information is available at fs.usda.gov/r02/gmug/alerts. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Uncompahgre Field Office closures can be found at blm.gov/programs/public-safety-and-fire/fire-and-aviation/regional-information/colorado/southwest-district.
No Fly Zone: A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) over the Gold Mountain and Elk Fire areas is in effect. Flying drones near the fire is prohibited and can interfere with firefighting aircraft, potentially grounding aerial suppression operations. For more information on flight restrictions, visit knowbeforeyoufly.org.
Fire Statistics:
Size: 2,317 acres
Containment: 49%
Total Personnel: 94
Location: 7 Miles NW of Lake City, CO
Reported: July 9, 2026
Cause: Lightning
For More Information:
Information Phone: 970-299-5357
Email: 2026.elk@firenet.gov
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/2026elkfire
InciWeb: https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/cogmf-elk-fire
LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/2026ElkPublic
