WAPITI, Wyo. — A wildfire burning in the Shoshone National Forest east of Yellowstone National Park (YNP), dubbed the Clearwater Fire, has been growing for over a week and has reached about 1,000 acres with 0% contained.
The fire, which was sparked by lightning on July 19, is located in the Elk Fork Canyon area 11 miles west of Wapiti, WY between the Elk Fork and June Creek drainages, moving toward US 14/16/20. The burn caused a temporary closure of the highway between YNP’s East Entrance and Wapiti, causing delays on the road into the park. As of July 30 the highway was open, according to the government fire monitoring entity InciWeb.
The fire had not crossed the highway to the north nor did it appear to have reached south of the Elk Fork Drainage as of a July 30 notification by InciWeb.
A total of 101 personnel are currently fighting the fire, taking measures to thin trees, reduce fuel sources and install sprinkler systems, among other steps.
The fire is located on a ridge, making it hard to access.
“The location of the fire is very difficult terrain that makes suppression efforts challenging,” the Park County Sheriff’s Office said on its Facebook page July 30.
The Elk Fork campground, Wapiti campground, Wapiti Ranger station and Pagoda summer homes have been evacuated and closures are in effect at NFS Road 424, Elk Fork Road and NFS Trail 760.
“Resources will continue to focus on updating structure protection plans for Shoshone National Forest infrastructure, summer homes, and private property in the immediate area,” said the InciWeb report. “Additionally, they have been assisting private landowners with increasing their defensible space and hardening of their structures. “
There are currently no active fire restrictions for Shoshone National Forest, but officials are reminding people to be “vigilant about possible ignition sources,” including watching campfires closely and making sure they are cool before leaving them.
