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Yellowstone National Park officials report minimal fire activity during the early portion of the season. However, with recent lightning strikes occurring in and around the park and continuing warm weather, fire activity has increased. One new fire start was reported on July 18. Following is information on each of Yellowstone's wildland fires:
Fan Fire: This lightning-caused fire is located in the northwest section of the park in 1988 burn. As of July 17, this fire was converted to a suppression fire. On July 18, a flight detected 4 small hot spots in the middle of the fire that pose no threat to escape the fireline. This fire is estimated at approximately 3 acres and will be checked routinely before it is declared out.
Amethyst Fire: This lightning-caused fire is located in the northeast section of the park near Amethyst Mountain and Specimen Ridge and was reported by the Mt. Washburn lookout on July 15. This fire is being suppressed due to dry conditions and the potential of spread. Several crews, along with Yellowstone National Park support and overhead teams, were placed on the fire July 17th and will continue to line the fire and catch spot fires. Helicopter bucket drops will be continued as needed and additional resources are continuing to arrive. The Specimen Ridge Trail is closed from the junction with the Agate Creek Trail to the Lamar River due to the fire. The fire is currently estimated at 220 acres and is 30% contained.
Bison Fire: This lightning-caused fire is located in the northeast section of the park west of Elk Tongue near Bison Peak about one-quarter mile from the park's north boundary. The fire probably started on July 15 and was detected on July 16. Because of dry conditions, the decision was made to suppress this fire. A flight was done on July 18 and no heat or smoke was detected. The fire is estimated at one-half acre; park staff is continuing to monitor this fire.
Pumice Fire: This lightning-caused fire is located approximately 2 miles north of Pumice Point on the west side of Yellowstone Lake and was reported at 1 p.m. on Friday, July 18. Suppression activity was immediately taken with a helicopter doing bucket drops. Smokejumpers from West Yellowstone were called in. It is currently approximately 4 acres in size.
Today's weather forecast is calling for partly cloudy skies with a slight chance of rain showers or thunderstorms. Temperatures will be around 74 to 78 degrees, with relative humidity around 27 to 33 percent. Light winds are expected with ridge top winds out of the west at 5-10 mph. Generally hot
and dry weather conditions are predicted in the long term forecast.
There have been a total of 8 fires during the 2003 fire season - 3 human-caused and 5 lightning-caused.
Fire restrictions went into effect on July 18. Under the restrictions, the following are prohibited:
1) Backcountry Campfires - lighting, building, maintaining, attending or using a campfire, wood fire, charcoal fire or open fire is prohibited in the backcountry.
2) Smoking - smoking is only permitted within an enclosed vehicle or building (unless otherwise prohibited), a developed campground site, or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials (i.e. parking lots, campsite cooking areas or if surrounded by water).
In developed areas in the park, fires are only allowed in designated fire rings at developed campgrounds. Fires fueled by liquid fuel and LPG fuel are permitted only if used in self-contained appliances.
Baker's Hole Fire: This human-caused fire started approximately 6 miles north of West Yellowstone, east of Highway 191 on the Gallatin National Forest on July 5, and burned to the northeast into Yellowstone National Park. The 506-acre fire was controlled on July 11 and continues to be monitored by Gallatin National Forest crews.
Yellowstone Fire Management policy requires that all human-caused fires be suppressed but that natural fires be allowed to burn as long as they do not threaten people, property or resource values. Before any wildland fire is allowed to burn, however, it must be carefully evaluated and meet an inventory of pre-established criteria (including current and forecasted weather and wind conditions, fuel moisture levels, site location data, and sufficient resources). If all criteria are not met on a daily basis, the
fire must be reassessed to determine whether it will still be allowed to burn or if it must be immediately suppressed. With the current dry conditions in the park and the lack of any new moisture, each new fire start is being carefully evaluated on a case-by-case basis to determine whether the appropriate management action will be to suppress or allow new fire starts to burn.
Information provided by the NPS
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