Fire Update – Elk Fire
Saturday, August 1st, 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: The fire has exhibited little growth and continues to remain within the existing fire footprint. As a warming and drying trend occurs over the fire, areas with retained heat will continue to smolder, slowly back downhill, and produce smoke. Occasional tree torching may also be visible.
In Division A, suppression repair work continues along FSR 7868, and specialized machinery arriving today will assist with the plan. Forest Service resource advisors work closely with the incident management team to create a plan for completion of the repair work.
Division X is currently unstaffed but there are ground resources available in the event of a new start. Water handling equipment continues Hwy 149 so they can be sent to other wildland fires.
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: 2,319 acres
Containment: 49%
Total Personnel: 103
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
