UPDATE: Yellowstone issued a follow-up stating that the fire was caused by lightning.
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK — Yellowstone National Park (YNP) has reported its first confirmed wildland fire of the year.
The fire was spotted by hikers on Monday, May 26, on the Bighorn Pass Trail. Dubbed the Memorial Day Fire, the 0.1-acre blaze is burning in a mixed conifer forest 0.75 miles southeast of the trailhead off of US191, in the northwestern corner of YNP.
“Yellowstone wildland firefighters are suppressing the creeping ground fire, and it is now controlled,” the park’s news release reads.
YNP did not disclose the fire’s cause. Despite the incident, fire danger in the park is still considered low. No fire restrictions are currently in place in YNP, the release states. Remember that campfires are only permitted within established fire rings in campgrounds and in some backcountry campsites. Campfires must always be attended and cold to the touch before being abandoned. Soak, stir, feel, repeat.
Keep track of fire activity in the park on YNP’s dedicated fire website.
