CODY, WYOMING - Smoke filled the air in Cody Wednesday as the Gunbarrel Fire pushed closer to the city. A red flag warning was issued again Wednesday, and high winds pushed the smoke past the mountains into the northwest Wyoming town.

Cody Wyoming has seen smoke before. The fires of 1988 blackened the skies. Fires in recent years irritated eyes and throats. But, the smoke from the Gunbarrel erased the view of Heart Mountain.

Cody Resident Teresa Bullock, said, "It's getting bad. Seems to be affecting the kids a little bit. Got some coughing going on. Leaving the windows closed." Bullock says it's not a good time to drive a convertible. She explained, "I've got a jeep Wranger with the top off, and it's getting quite a bit of ash."

Cody resident Sherry Taha, said her health wasn't suffering, but, "It's a bit dismal in appearance and I'm sure it's not the best for health in terms of breathing." Dr. Benjamin Beasely agrees. He works in West Park Hospital's emergency room. Dr. Beasley said, "You know it's not like the kind of smoke exposure you would get if you were in a house fire, but there's still enough smoke in the air to cause some trouble. We've been seeing folks coming in with asthma, increased wheezing, and coughing and even sinus infections."

Beasely said healthy individuals might want to wear face protection if they're going to run or bike outside. He added, "Well, I think if you have really bad asthma or COPD or emphysema, that you do try to take cover. If you do have to go outside you would consider a bandanna, moistened with water, like in the old days or a washcloth whatever you have to sort of filter out some of those particulates."

As firefighters worked in the mountains west of Cody to protect the homes and ranches near the nearly 60,000 acre fire, people in Cody look to the message boards, and to the skies. Many say they're looking forward to the first snow. The fire has moved so far eastward, the incident command post was moved Wednesday to the Buffalo Bill State Park next to the reservoir near Cody.