With hot and dry weather, we’re in the midst of serious fire season, as the Bacon Rind Fire expands and potentially causing road closures, and a new Yellowstone fire reported south of Heart Lake.
The new Yellowstone fire, the Basin Creek Fire, was detected on August 10 and is 0.2 acres burning in a forested area 5 miles south of Heart Lake. It’s shown in the photo below.
With the Yellowstone fire danger pegged as very high, the Bacon Rind Fire has expanded to 1,321 acres on the perimeter and starting to impact Yellowstone National Park visitors. There is the potential for intermittent closures on Hwy. 191 in Yellowstone National Park, with heavy smoke causing delays. (You can see how close to Hwy. 191 the Bacon Rind Fire has expanded into Yellowstone via the photo at the top of this page.) Some rain tonight may provide a measure of relief.
Besides the potential impacts on Hwy. 191, there are also other closures within Yellowstone National Park. The Bacon Rind Trail both within Yellowstone and the Gallatin National Forest is closed. But that’s just the start. For instance, Fawn Pass Trail is closed from the west boundary of the Gallatin BMA to Fawn Pass Trailhead (WK5) at Hwy. 191 due to the Bacon Rind Fire. Also, access to the Gallatin River along Highway 191 is restricted from the Fawn Pass Trail trailhead north to Milepost 27. There are also other trail closures in the area; check the Backcountry Page for a complete list.
Finally, the Folsom Fire is still reported as active and about an acre in size. The Folsom Fire, caused by lightning and first observed on Aug. 4, is located within the 1988 North Fork Fire scar, in the headwaters of Blacktail Deer Creek on the Blacktail Deer Plateau. It may be visible from the Grand Loop Road between Mammoth Hot Springs and Tower-Roosevelt.
Image of Basin Creek Fire courtesy National Park Service. Image of Bacon Rind Fire courtesy InciWeb.
RELATED STORIES: It’s HOT HOT HOT in Yellowstone: Fire Danger Raised to Very High; New Yellowstone Fire Emerges; Bacon Rind Fire Keeps Growing, Albeit Slowly; Bacon Rind Fire Expansion at 383 Acres; Growth Slows; Yellowstone Fire Danger Upgraded to High; New Fire Emerges; Bacon Rind Fire Expands to 340 Acres, Now in Yellowstone
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