Two Small Late Season Fires Discovered In Yellowstone

Two new small fires have been discovered in the north central section of Yellowstone National Park.

Both are located on the east slopes of Mount Washburn, and are well east of the road linking Canyon Village, Tower Fall, and Roosevelt Lodge.

• The Lookout Fire when discovered Tuesday afternoon was confined to a single tree in the backcountry southeast of Dunraven Pass.
• The Antelope Fire is located northeast of Dunraven Pass, in the backcountry near Antelope Creek. At times this fire is producing a small smoke column which is visible on the Mt. Washburn Fire Lookout Web Cam http://www.nps.gov/yell/photosmultimedia/webcams.htm. The size of the fire has not yet been estimated.

The two fires are believed to have been started by lightning. No roads, campgrounds, or trails are closed because of either fire. They pose no threat to visitors.

Yellowstone National Park is a fire adapted ecosystem. Fire plays an important role in maintaining the health of the area’s wildlife habitat and vegetation. Most fires occurring in the park are caused by lightning. These fires are managed to protect people and property, enhance the area’s natural resources where appropriate, and safely and effectively use available firefighting resources.

There have been 11 fires in Yellowstone National Park this year. The largest of the year was the Beach Fire southwest of Bridge Bay Campground, which was contained at 520 acres.