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New wildfire detected in Yellowstone National Park

Posted at 3:56 PM, Sep 22, 2020
and last updated 2020-09-22 17:56:56-04

A new wildfire has been reported in Yellowstone National Park.

The fire was detected Monday in the southeast corner of the park.

Here's a quick look at the details, provided by park officials:

  • At about 11:45 a.m. Monday, September 21, 2020, a ranger on a backcountry patrol in the Heart Lake area (southeast corner of Yellowstone) detected the new Hancock Fire.
  • The 0.1-acre fire is believed to be lightning-ignited since a strike was seen very close to that location a few days prior.
  • The tree that is on fire is smoldering, with no open flame.
  • Since the fire has low spread potential and is located in a remote area, several miles from a trail, fire staff will monitor it and will not take direct action.
  • There are no closures in the area. Campsites and trails remain open.

Another fire, the Lone Star Fire, continues to burn near Old Faithful but has minimal activity at this time.

Fire danger in the Yellowstone area remains very high; campfires in the backcountry are not allowed. All residents and visitors can assist fire efforts by following fire restrictions to reduce the potential of additional starts.