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McElwain Fire near Helmville holding at 176 acres, containment at 5%

The lightning-sparked McElwain Fire is burning 10 miles west of Helmville in Powell County
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082324 MCELWAIN FIRE MAP
Posted

HELMVILLE — The McElwain Fire 10 miles west of Helmville in Powell County remains at 176 aces and is 5% contained as of Tuesday.

The Powell County Sheriff’s Office has issued evacuation warnings to residents in the Ledger Road area.

The blaze — made up of a north fire and a south fire — is burning in grass and timber.

082324 MCELWAIN FIRE MAP

Fire managers report the lightning-sparked blaze is creeping and smoldering with isolated torching.

According to the Tuesday update, a control line has been established around the south fire and is nearly complete around the north fire.

There are 105 people assigned to the fire including a helicopter that will continue to drop water on the fire as needed.

Powell County remains in Stage 1 fire restrictions and people are asked to be extra careful when outdoors to limit human-caused sparks.