Three fires burning in Yellowstone National Park
Posted: Sep 23, 2009 3:59 PM
A new, small fire ignited in Yellowstone National Park Tuesday.
The ½-acre Chaw Pass Fire is located three and a half miles east of the Pebble Creek Campground and nine miles southwest of Cooke City on a ridge above the Cache Creek drainage.
The fire has the potential to grow downhill and to the northeast in the Cache Creek drainage, according to a news release from the park. It may be visible at times from the Northeast Entrance Road but is well away from the road and the communities of Silver Gate and Cooke City.
Another fire, the Rainbow Fire, which started on Sept. 13, is one acre in size and located three miles west-northwest of Mammoth Hot Springs near the Montana/Wyoming state line.
The one-acre lightning-caused fire is on the north facing slope of Sepulcher Mountain, uphill from Rainbow Lake, and below the Sepulcher Mountain Trail. It has grown slightly down slope along the ground since its discovery. Smoke or flames from burning trees may be visible at times from the park's North Entrance Road, in the community of Gardiner, and from the Yellowstone River and U.S. Highway 89 north of the park.
The Rainbow Fire is well away from Mammoth Hot Springs, Gardiner, and all roads and visitor services.
A third fire, the 160-acre Butte Fire, which ignited on Aug. 30 has not grown for several days, but there are three locations in the fire perimeter that can produce small flames and smoke on warmer, windy days. It is expected to continue this behavior until fall weather and snow put it out.
The Butte Fire is located north of Soda Butte and the Northeast Entrance Road on Druid Peak, 16 miles southwest of Cooke City.
The Butte Fire started in whitebark pine beneath the summit of Druid Peak north of Soda Butte. After remaining quiet for several days, changing weather conditions on Sept. 2 promoted increased fire activity and fire growth.
Fire activity may be visible from the road and the Pebble Creek Campground. The Butte Fire still remains above and well away from the Trout Lake Trail and Northeast Entrance road. There are no roads, trails, or campgrounds closed in connection with the fire.
Firefighters are monitoring the fires from the ground and from the air. These three fires are being managed in order to protect people and property, enhance the area's natural resources, and effectively use available firefighting resources.
There have been 19 fires in Yellowstone this season. The only fires to grow a half acre or larger in size this year are the Chaw Pass, Rainbow and Butte fires.
