Late last week, the fire spread across the road, closing it for a time, but it reopened Friday.
Firefighters were expected to continue the controlled burning this week as well as mopping up the fire west of the highway.
One firefighter received minor injuries when he found himself in the path of a frightened grizzly bear who appeared to be fleeing the fire area. The man was “briefly roughed up” by the bear and was treated and released at the Yellowstone Clinic.
Firefighters have been educated about bear safety and are carrying bear spray.
According to Joe Krish, Incident Commander for the LeHardy Fire, the LeHardy fire is likely to burn for some time.
We expect it to be with us for awhile and are currently developing a long range strategy,” Krish said.
As of Monday morning, all roads and recreation areas in the park were open. Anyone interested in back country trail closures due to the fire or fire conditions should check with any of the backcountry offices or call 307-344-2160.