North Fork, Red Lodge, Yellowstone on fire

Three fires continue to dim the region's skies.

After enveloping Powell in the late afternoon, smoke from the Gunbarrel Fire rolled over Cody last night (Wednesday).

It seemed to come just in time to make anyone taking a summer afternoon stroll or rushing home at five o'clock smell like a fireside camper.

Windy Wednesday weather drove serious fire growth - nearly doubling the blaze's size from roughly 2,100 acres to 4,100. The fire spread substantially again on Thursday - late estimates placed the blaze at more than 7,800 acres.

It doesn't burn alone...

The fire edged closer to the east border of Yellowstone National Park on Tuesday (July 29). Though the sky is thick with the smoke, the actual fire can only be seen with some extra leg work (or, on this webpage, by clicking for a larger view).

The west end of the fire is visible north of the Goff Creek Trail and also the Goff Creek Lodge.

In a Thursday news release, Park County Sheriff Scott Steward said the county is "in the process of planning a possible evacuation of Elephant Head Lodge and possibly a couple others near that location due to the close proximity of the Gunbarrel Fire." Steward said the planning was only a precautionary measure.
The fire has been painting the sky orange with smoke over Park County and the Shoshone River. The smoke has definitely made for some interesting sunsets in the past couple of nights.

The Gunbarrel fire, of course, isn't the only one burning.

The Cascade Fire - only about 6 miles west of Red Lodge - has consumed more than 9,400 acres, burned cabins, and forced multiple evacuations in the area. An precautionary evacuation plan for the City of Red Lodge has already been developed.

In Yellowstone, the LeHardy Fire, north of Fishing Bridge, had burned about 505 acres as of Thursday afternoon. It poses no threat to visitors, though it forced the closure of the road between Fishing Bridge and Mud Volcano.

One Illinois tourist I talked to thought Wyoming sunsets were always this beautiful.