Large wildfire in Yellowstone grows

Posted 8/23/16

The majority of smoke in the area is from the fires in Yellowstone, according to InciWeb.

The Maple Fire expanded by nearly 10 square miles Sunday. The wildfire has charred mostly remote forest between West Yellowstone, Montana, and the Madison …

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Large wildfire in Yellowstone grows

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The biggest wildfire in Yellowstone National Park has grown to about 35 square miles amid warm, windy weather, forcing firefighters to take measures to protect nearby park facilities in case the wind shifts direction.

The majority of smoke in the area is from the fires in Yellowstone, according to InciWeb.

The Maple Fire expanded by nearly 10 square miles Sunday. The wildfire has charred mostly remote forest between West Yellowstone, Montana, and the Madison Junction recreational area within the park.

The 22,448-acre fire is one of four burning in Yellowstone, and the forecast again called for higher temperatures and gusts that could fan the flames.

Lightning ignited the fire Aug. 8, and firefighters were not actively suppressing the fire because winds have pushed it mostly into a remote area.

“As it’s pushing off to the north and east, there’s not a lot of values at risk as far as infrastructure goes,” said Mike Johnson, a spokesman with the National Park Service.

But firefighters are making contingency plans because the flames are burning between West Yellowstone, Montana, and Madison Junction.

All the park’s main tourist facilities and roads were open Monday, although the Maple Fire was creeping toward a key road linking the West Entrance with the park’s interior.

Meanwhile, the Buffalo Fire in Yellowstone is at 2,279 acres. The fire is burning about 3 miles northeast of Tower Junction.

The Fawn Fire, located 11 miles west of Mammoth Hot Springs, has burned 1,496 acres.

Wildfires in Yellowstone National Park have prompted trail and campsite closures.

For current information and closures, go to go.nps.gov/YellowstoneFire.

Hunter Peak Fire

The Hunter Peak Fire in the Crandall area has burned 3,478 acres. As of Monday morning, the lightning-caused blaze was 50 percent contained.

A red flag warning remained in place on Monday. High temperatures, strong winds and low humidity may lead to an increase in fire activity.

Evacuation of County Road XUX and the Squaw Creek area was lifted last week. No structures have been lost, but 95 were threatened at one point during the fire.

There is a no-stopping zone along the Chief Joseph Highway (Wyo. Highway 296.)

As of Monday, there were 155 firefighters battling the fire.

“Grizzly bears have been sighted on the fireline as well as near camp and helibase, and continue to pose a significant threat,” according to the update posted Monday on InciWeb. “To mitigate risk, all fire personnel will receive grizzly bear training.”

Whit Fire

Meanwhile, the Whit Fire west of Cody is 87 percent contained and has burned 12,387 acres.

Twin Lakes Fire

The Twin Lakes Fire is burning on public land about 19 miles south/southwest of Meeteetse. The lightning-caused fire has burned 1,579 acres and is 80 percent contained, according to InciWeb.

(The Associated Press contributed to this story.)

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