      Quick responses Monday afternoon by units from the Chadron Volunteer Fire Department and the U-S Forest Service limited 2 wildfires south of Chadron and east of Hwy 385 to less than 2 acres combined.
The one-acre Treat Fire was reported shortly before 1:00 while the call for Trick Fire came in a little over an hour later. It was listed as controlled at a tenth of an acre at 4:30 Authorities say the cause of both fires remains under investigation.
Meanwhile, the Palmer Gulch Wildfire, burning since Saturday about 3 miles southeast of Hill City, stayed at 40% contained yesterday while more accurate mapping shrank its size estimate to 87-acres, 4 fewer than what it had been.
Pleasant weather and moderate fire behavior allowed firefighters to continue to strengthen the lines around the fire. Nearly 100 personnel are assigned to the fire along with one National Guard helicopter, 4 single-engine air tankers, one air attack aircraft, 17 engines, 5 water tenders, and a 10-person fire suppression module.
The Palmer Gulch fire is burning within the Norbeck Wildlife Preserve, near the Black Elk Wilderness Area, with a road closure on Palmer Creek Road in place until further notice. Smoke will continue to be thick in the area for the next several days.
For public safety, many trails in the Black Elk Wilderness Area are also closed and the public is asked to avoid traveling on roads and trails in the vicinity of the fire for their own safety and the safety of firefighters.