A five-acre wildfire has been spotted in a remote part of the northwest corner of Yellowstone National Park.
Smoke was first sighted on Wednesday afternoon in the Tom Miner Basin, and later a fire – in very steep, rugged and rocky terrain – was confirmed after park authorities sent a helicopter to investigate. They say that the fire was likely to have been ignited by a lightning strike several days prior.
Fire crews will continue to monitor the wildfire in the Tom Miner Basin and the air but the potential for the fire to expand out out the the park are is very low.
According to the park authorities, forecasted snow and rain will likely significantly slow the fire’s growth over the next ten days.
Backcountry campsite WE4 will be closed for the rest of the season because of to its proximity to the fire.
On Tuesday (September 27) Yellowstone National Park’s park-wide fire danger level dropped from Very High (which it moved into on 6 September) to High. This latest fire is not expected to change that rating and may even be a fire season-ending event, if the weather does what the forecasters expect it to.
Overall, summer 2022 has been less dangerous and less severe than other recent summers in Yellowstone National Park. At this point in 2020, park officials were working to contain the Lone Star Fire near the Old Faithful Geyser Basin, which burned over 4,000 acres before being fully extinguished by winter weather in October 2020.
Make sure you stay safe with these wildfire safety tips.
