Updates

• July 25, 2009 – Removed dead links
• November 11, 2002 – Updated to remove dead links. The KOTA news titles remain but the links are all dead so have been deactivated.
• July 20, 2000 10:00 PM MT – 673 acres and 70% contained. 100% containment estimated at 7/21/2002 6:00 PM.
• July 19, 2002 8:00 AM MT – Using global position equipment, the size of the fire area was determined to be 600 acres.
• July 18, 2002 11:45 PM MT – With cloud cover and higher humidity, the fire did not spread much today. Added some of our photos taken this evening.
• July 18, 2002 12:30 PM MT – The fire is now estimated over 1,200 acres with no containment estimate.
• July 18, 2002 8:00 AM MT – 800 acres at 40 percent contained. This fire is burning near Piedmont. Crews are constructing fireline on the rim of Little Elk Canyon. One hundred residences in the Piedmont Meadows subdivision are threatened and have been evacuated.
• July 17, 2002 11:55 PM MT – The fire grew to over 400 acres. It is estimated to be 40% contained. Major concern is the north end because the Mountain Pine Beetle infested Beaver Park area is located in that direction. Additional evacuation have occurred with more closures
• July 16, 2002 11:00 PM MT – Fire started around 2:00 PM MT along I-90, burned grass and spread into trees. It is currently about 280 acres and is 50% contained. Thirty homes were evacuated in the area.

Links with information and photos about the fire.

• KOTA – Provides updates on a regular basis.
  • Heavy Rain Douses Fires 7/21/2002 7:57:44 PM
  • Thunderstorm fights fires, starts new ones 7/21/2002 10:19:53 AM
  • Noon update on fires in the Black Hills, 4,000-acre grassfire east of Sturgis 7/20/2002 12:15:44 PM
  • Update on Little Elk Fire 7/20/2002 8:48:28 AM
  • Thunderstorms spark new fires overnight 7/20/2002 8:45:16 AM
  • Little Elk Fire Update Friday night 7/19/2002 9:21:28 PM
  • Update on lightning-caused fires in Black Hills 7/19/2002 9:17:10 PM
  • Fire gets a name change 7/19/2002 5:40:09 PM
  • Little Elk Fire Update 7/19/2002 3:59:08 PM
  • More fires in the Northern Black Hills 7/19/2002 3:57:25 PM
  • Elk Creek Fire: the latest this evening 7/18/2002 6:00:40 PM
  • Little Elk Creek Fire Update: evacuation orders lifted in two places 7/18/2002 11:58:55 AM
  • Little Elk Creek Fire Update: 1,200 acres burned 7/18/2002 9:44:14 AM
  • Little Elk Creek Fire update Wednesday night 7/17/2002 10:00 PM MT
  • Little Elk Creek Fire Update: winds not helping 7/17/2002 12:01 PM MT
  • Firefighters continue to push on Little Elk Creek Fire 7/17/2002 9:01 AM MT
  • Little Elk Creek Fire Update 7/16/2002 9:15 PM MT
  • Little Elk Creek Fire Update 7/16/2002 7:48 PM MT
  • Piedmont area fire update 7/16/2002 5:47 PM MT
  • Fire Near Piedmont 7/16/2002 3:58 PM MT

Fire Photos – Click to see larger versions

Here are some pictures we took while driving on I-90 Thursday evening. Over the past several days, many people were stopping along the interstate to talk pictures, which is illegal. Law Enforcement Officers were busy keeping the traffic flowing safely.

Fire Sunset

Homes near the Little Elk fir as seen from I-90

Grass fire becomes forest fire

If you click on the last photo to view the large version, you will see the grass before the hill and the hill is burnt.

Map of the area

To give you an idea of where our house is located in reference to the Little Elk Creek fire, below is a map of the area. The red star to the left of Rapid City, on the lower center of the map, is where our house is located. In the center of the map is Piedmont. The red circle shows the approximate area that has burned as of Thursday 7/18/2002. Our house is located about 9 miles from the burned area.