RED LODGE Fresh snow is covering the charred hills of Red Lodge, bringing relief to property owners and residents after the East Side Fire threatened the community this week.The fire, which ignited Monday, raged across the area , burning 1,200 acres just south of Red Lodge and coming dangerously close to homes in the 400 Ranch.Click here to hear from residents: Fresh snow brings relief to Red Lodge residents after the East Side Fire threatened homes and cabinsFirefighters moved fast to battle the blaze, saving every home and structure before getting help from the weather on Thursday when snowfall all but finished the job.Billings resident Todd Hertz owns a cabin about 400 yards away from where the fire burned. Hertz was one of the few in the area when it all began Monday."Boy, when I got up there, I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe it," Hertz said Friday. "I called 9-1-1, went down a road a piece, turned around and came back, and at that time the smoke was so bad I could hardly see the road."Even with flames looming, Hertz chose to stay and not abandon his family's cabin."I did pack up things in the cabin and loaded my four-wheeler onto the trailer and was ready to bug out if they came and knocked on the door," Hertz said.That knock never came. Hertz said he couldn't be more appreciative of the efforts from first responders."It just would've been devastating, you know, had the fire gone the wrong way," Hertz said.Red Lodge resident Traci Mark was also thrilled to see the snowfall Thursday."Im really joyful today because we got snow," Traci Mark said. "Everybody prayed for Montana and prayed for Red Lodge, and it came true."Mark spent the week traveling all over town taking pictures of the fire, spending time everywhere from the fairgrounds to the Belfry highway and all the way up Red Lodge Mountain."Ive been running place to place just to get the best point and get the best picture," Mark said. "It was heartbreaking to see our mountains on fire. You know, just heartbreaking."Instead, Red Lodge can breathe again as the snow finished what firefighters started, transforming the crisis into calm."It's a really good day," Mark said. "It was great seeing that snow." ...read more read less