Just when we thought we were through the thick of fire season we had not one, but two fires pop up. The Millie Fire, also known as the Castle Rock or Rat Lake fire, (near the Gallatin River) began with a lightning strike on August 28th. It has since burned over 10,000 acres and today is only 15% contained. The Pine Creek fire (rumored to have started from the spark from a Bobcat backhoe), began on August 29th. Currently it has burned over 8,000 acres, roughly 9 miles south of Livingston. Thankfully it is now 45% contained and looks to be on the way out with reports of higher humidity and a NW wind (blowing the fire back into itself where it had already burned). Certainly we have noticed a lot less smoke in Paradise Valley right now, which is encouraging to see. East River road is still closed, which means several FAS sites are also closed including: Carter’s Bridge, Pine Creek, Loch Leven and Paradise. Although the fire choppers are working constantly around Mallard’s Rest, it is still open. Consequently, it looks like the town stretch will be rested for a little while. Click on the links for more information on both the Millie Fire and Pine Creek Fire, brought to you by Inciweb.org.