Yellowstone National Park officials report renewed fire activity with continuing warm, dry conditions and recent lightning strikes occurring in and around the park. Two new fire starts were reported August 02. Following is information on each of Yellowstone's wildland fires:

Grizzly Fire: This lightning-caused fire reported on August 02 is located in spruce/fir and lodgepole pine forest east of Yellowstone Lake and north of Signal Hills. Park crews will work on suppressing the fire using a confine/contain strategy. The fire is currently estimated at 2 acres in size.

Judo Fire: This small human-caused fire near Canyon reported August 02 was immediately suppressed and declared out on the same day. It reached .25 acre in size.

Amethyst Fire: This lightning-caused fire, located in the northeast section of the park near Amethyst Mountain and Specimen Ridge is contained and in patrol status. It will continue to be monitored from the air. The fire remains at 315 acres. The Specimen Ridge trail, previously closed due to this fire, has reopened.

All other fires are contained and are in patrol status.

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.

Today's weather forecast is calling for mostly cloudy conditions with a 40% chance of rain showers and thunderstorms. Temperatures will be around 77 to 81 degrees, with relative humidity at 25 to 28 percent. Winds are expected to be around 10 to 15 mph out of the southwest, with ridge top winds out of the southwest reaching 25 mph. Generally warm and dry weather conditions are predicted in the long term forecast.

There have been a total of 12 fires during the 2003 fire season - 4 human caused and 8 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.