YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK — Four new wildland fires are listed on Yellowstone National Park’s (YNP) Current Fire Activity website, which catalogues every wildland fire the park is aware of each season.
All four fires were discovered last weekend, with the largest (the lightning-sparked Escarpment Fire) reported to be 16 acres in size. Like the Escarpment Fire, the South Cache and Cone Cabin fires were both lightning-sparked and discovered on Aug. 15; the South Cache Fire is reported to be 8 acres in size, and the Cone Cabin Fire is reported to be 7 acres in size. Those three blazes are the only three fires in the park considered to be “active.”
A fourth fire, the 0.5-acre Ribbon Fire discovered on Aug. 16 of unknown cause, is considered “contained,” which YNP defines as “surrounded by control line and/or natural features.”
Nine other fires in the park are listed as “controlled,” with the lightning-sparked Ash Fire estimated to be 26 acres in size after being discovered on July 30.
Fire danger in YNP remains “very high,” with conditions allowing fires to start easily and spread quickly. Last week, the park implemented stage 1 fire restrictions, which prohibits charcoal and wood campfires in the backcountry and on trails, including those in established fire rings, among other fire limitations.
