Fire Update – Elk Fire
Thursday, August 6, 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.
Special Note: A community meeting will be held on Friday, August 7, at 6 p.m. at Lake City Community School, 614 Silver St. Lake City, CO. Incident Management Team members and local agency officials will provide an update on the current status of the Elk Fire.
Current Situation: With the continued hot and dry weather, fire growth is expected over the next couple of days. Water handling equipment used for structure protection, such as hoses, pumpkins, and sprinklers, will be staged for engine crews patrolling Hwy 149, in the event they are needed. Two Super Scoopers, specialized amphibian aircrafts, have arrived and will support suppression operations by cooling down areas of heat along the eastern fire edge. Night operations will begin this evening to further support structure protection operations.
In Division A, suppression repair work continues north of the fire area near Elk Creek. A suppression module and wildland fire module evaluate opportunities for suppression between the fire’s edge and structures. Additional resources have already been assigned to this division and will support structure protection operations. Division X remains unstaffed.
Weather and Fire Behavior: A Red Flag Warning is in effect today from 12 p.m. until 8 p.m. as the region sees continued elevated fire weather. Temperatures remain above normal with low humidity and poor humidity recovery overnight. Fire growth could mirror previous days’ activity even with slightly lower wind speeds.
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: 3,527 acres
Containment: 42%
Total Personnel: 53
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
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