East Side Fire Near Red Lodge at 1,600 Acres, 0% Contained

Overview

• The East Side Fire, which officials updated Tuesday at 1,600 acres with 0% containment, continues to threaten the canyon south of Red Lodge in the Custer Gallatin National Forest.
• Evacuation orders cover about 185 homes from south of Howell Gulch Road toward Lake Fork Road, and Highway 212 is closed near the Beartooth Ranger Station with maps posted on carbonalert.org.
• Roughly 100 personnel are assigned with two fixed‑wing aircraft and four helicopters, and crews are installing sprinklers, conducting backburns, and building firelines on the north flank to slow the push toward town.
• Warm, dry conditions with a wind shift to southwest gusts of 40 to 50 mph are expected Tuesday afternoon, which officials warn could drive faster spread and more dangerous fire behavior.
• No injuries or structure losses have been reported, and the cause remains under investigation after the blaze ignited Monday along East Side Road; some local reports cited up to 3,000 acres earlier as estimates shifted during rapid growth.