A nearly-1,000-acre grass fire that began north of Highway 87 East Thursday afternoon led to the issuance of pre-evacuation notices for about a dozen homes in the Huntington Hills area according to the Billings Gazette.  The Sage Hills fire burning near Lockwood southeast of Billings threatens numerous other structures in the Emerald Hills area, according to Brad Shoemaker, the disaster and emergency services coordinator for Yellowstone County.

Fire was also reported this week near the East Entrance of Yellowstone National Park, growing to an estimated 2,000 acres.  It spread quickly on Wednesday, boosted by gusting winds, hot and dry conditions and low fuel moisture in dense beetle-killed tree stands.  The fire started in the North Fork Shoshone River drainage west of Cody, Wyoming — and spread through the June Creek drainage.  Approximately 100 firefighters were deployed, along with heavy equipment.

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