Wildfire grows west of Red Lodge

By The Gazette Staff A type-1 incident management team has been called in to manage a burgeoning fire 12 miles west of Red Lodge, in the Custer National Forest. The Cascade fire, first reported at 2:15 p.m., had grown to more than 1,000 acres by 9 p.m. Saturday. It originated in the West Fork of Rock Creek. The cause of the fire is not yet known and is under investigation. Heavy fuels and daytime heat on the south-facing slopes, plus thunderstorm activity, caused the initial fire to spread rapidly, said Jeff Gildehaus, public information officer for the Custer National Forest. There is potential threat to residences and structures in the West Fork of Rock Creek and the Red Lodge Mountain Ski Resort, Gildehaus said. A type-II helicopter and air tankers have been dispatched to the fire. As darkness fell, air support to fight... [read full story]