NEIHART — The Yogo Fire in the Little Belt Mountains has burned an estimated 2,858 acres as of Monday morning. The fire is centered about 1.5 miles south of Yogo Peak, and 10 miles east of the town of Neihart, according to Inciweb. At least 65 people have been assigned to fight the fire at this point.
At Showdown ski area, the fire is keeping staff alert for any developments.
"We can sometimes see big smoke plumes coming up,” said Avery Patrick, Showdown marketing director.
Patrick isn't panicking, though. "The local Forest Service office and Fish and Game office have been great with communicating with us as to what's going on,” said Patrick.
Luckily, as of Monday afternoon the wind was blowing the fire away from the resort and over the summer logging was one, reducing the amount of fuel for a fire.
"The Forest Service will let us know if it's time to evacuate. We do have a fire procedure in place that our staff is aware of. The biggest thing is keeping our people safe,” Patrick explained.
A few miles down the road, the manager of the Neihart Inconvenience Store, Roberta Taylor, is also keeping a close eye on the fire. "We are concerned because it could change direction any minute,” Taylor said.
A packet of information about the fire provided by the forest service helps ease the concern a little.
“No,” Taylor laughed when asked if she had thought about how she’d evacuate. "I don't have anywhere to go. I guess I'd be getting a hotel."
In the meantime, it's business as usual in the small mountain town.
Patrick said any impact to the ski season will depend on how the fire develops.
