RED LODGE – Fire crews are mopping up a wildfire that burned 10,165 acres west of Red Lodge and some are being transferred to a fire southwest of Nye.
The Cascade fire ignited Wednesday and burned to within six miles of Red Lodge and within a quarter-mile of the Red Lodge Mountain Ski Resort, prompting mandatory evacuations and evacuation alerts for several subdivisions that have since been lifted.
Fire information officer Mark Wurdeman says crews Monday continued mopping up hotspots and securing firelines.
“The fire’s looking really good. It’s in a mop-up stage for the most part right now,” he said.
The fire was 44 percent contained as of Monday morning and “that number will continue to steadily climb over the next couple of days,” Wurdeman said.
Some firefighters and helicopter support have been transferred about 40 miles west to the Tumble Creek fire, burning just south of the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness about ten miles southwest of Nye.
That fire was repored Friday afternoon and was caused by lightning.
On Monday morning the fire was mapped at 619 acres.