All Other Facilities, Lodges and Area Businesses are Open and Accessible from the North through Gardiner, from the South through the South Entrance, from the Northeast through Cooke City and from the West through West Yellowstone

Fishing Bridge, WY. Low humidity and gusting winds associated with afternoon thunderstorms have caused the fire to rapidly spread approximately 2 miles per day. A rough estimate, based upon aerial observation, puts the size of the fire at around 8,000 acres. The fire has burned across both sides of a 5-mile stretch of the East Entrance Road causing its temporary closure. Park viewpoints, trails and facilities in the Fishing Bridge, Yellowstone Lake, Bridge Bay and Grant Village areas remain open for business as usual . The east entrance (Cody side) is the only entrance affected by the fire.

Fire officials are watching the weather and developing a range of contingency plans in view of record dry fuel conditions and gusting winds from afternoon thunderstorms. The fire is burning through heavy fuels composed of insect-killed Engelmann spruce and subalpine fir. The fire reached the east shoreline of Yellowstone Lake on Friday afternoon. Park officials were busy today evacuating hikers from the Nine Mile Trail and towing cars that had been left overnight at the trailhead. If the fire moves north as far as the Pelican Valley Trail fire officials will trigger an evacuation notification for Fishing Bridge Community.

The Northwest Oregon Interagency Incident Management Team took over management of the fire from Yellowstone National Park on August 14 at 7:00 pm. The 50-member team has been traveling between fires in the Pacific Northwest and western states since mid-June. The East Fire was started by lightning and has been burning since August 11th . A total of 109 personnel, 1 heavy lift helicopter, 2 medium and one light helicopter are currently assigned to the fire. Additional resources have been ordered and, as crews and engines become available they will be dispatched to the East Fire. Given the number of other large fires currently burning in the Northern Rockies firefighting resources are in short supply.