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Yellowstone National Park officials report progress on fire suppression in the park; however, the East Entrance Road will be closed all day Tuesday due to a burnout operation along the road on the East and Grizzly fires. Every effort will be made to open the road by mid-week on the same limited schedule as before (6:00 am to 9:00 am and 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm). While the road is closed, visitors approaching or leaving the park through Cody, Wyoming can take the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway (WY Route 296) through the Northeast Entrance. No other roads are currently impacted by fire, and all facilities in the park are open.
Following is information on active Yellowstone fires:
Tyson Fire: This fire remains at 150 acres, and is now 100% contained. Park firefighters have been retrieving hose and mopping up. Today, equipment and personnel will be removed from the fire and a remaining hot spot within the fire perimeter will be cooled with helicopter bucket drops.
Union Fire: Located between the Bechler area and Pitchstone Plateau in a very remote location, this fire is around 800 acres in size. Much of the acreage inside the perimeter remains unburned. Park staff will set up a remote weather station today and continue to assess suppression options and identify potential safety zones near the fire.
Rathbone Fire: This 217 acre fire was started by lightning on August 20 in the Gallatin National Forest just outside the west boundary of the park. It has now spread substantially into the park.
Recent new starts in the park, including the Indian Creek, CC, Chicken, and Bog Fires, are contained or controlled and in patrol status.
Backcountry trails currently closed due to fire activity include the Turbid Lake, Jones Pass, Ninemile, Avalanche Peak, Pelican Valley to Mist Pass, Pitchstone Plateau, Beula Lake, the west side of Bighorn, and Union Falls Trails. Visitors using the backcountry are encouraged to call the backcountry office at 307-344-2160 for specific trail closure information and other possible restrictions.
Continued warm temperatures and low relative humidity should contribute to very active fire behavior today, particularly if forecast winds materialize. Today's weather calls for mostly sunny in the morning, then partly cloudy in the afternoon. High temperatures will be from 72 - 77 degrees, with relative humidity at 17 - 20 percent. Winds will be out of the southwest at 15 mph. Ridge top winds will be from the southwest at 15 - 20 mph. The extended forecast calls for a higher chance of showers and thunderstorms, cooler temperatures and higher humidity.
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 significant 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. With few exceptions, the park is in full suppression mode because of observed extreme fire behavior, very dry fuels, and limited fire fighting resources.
Stringent fire restrictions went into effect on August 16. No wood or charcoal fires will be allowed at any of the frontcountry areas. This includes the use of fire grates, charcoal grills, fire pans, and any other ember-producing equipment in all campgrounds, picnic areas, parking areas, and employee housing. Additionally, no smoking is allowed in the frontcountry except within buildings where smoking is normally permitted, in vehicles, or designated smoking areas-provided an ashtray is used. Other restrictions implemented July 17 prohibit any backcountry wood or charcoal fires, and smoking is restricted to the immediate vicinity of the cooking area in designated backcountry sites only.
For a recorded message of updated fire information, call: 307-344-2580. For fire maps and other fire information, visit the park's web site at: http://www.nps.gov/yell/technical/fire/index.htm.
East and Grizzly Fires: The current size estimate of the two fires combined is about 22,000 acres, with current containment at 40%. A Type 2 incident management team has responsibility for the East and Grizzly Fires. For information on these two fires, contact fire information for the East Fire Incident Management Team: 307-242-9115.
There have been a total of 71 fires during the 2003 fire season-7 human-caused and 64 lightning-caused.
Information provided by the NPS
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