Cool Weather, Showers Slow Bacon Rind Fire

Though the Yellowstone fire danger is currently pegged at Very High, things are relatively quiet, as cool weather and scattered showers has helped stall the Bacon Rind Fire and preventing little new fire activity in the Park.

The Bacon Rind Fire’s perimeter is now estimated to be 2,405 acres, virtually unchanged for several days. Cooler weather and scattered showers are said to be the big reasons why the fire has not expanded. And with the cooler weather expected over the next several days, officials aren’t looking for any serious expansion in the near future.

There is the potential for intermittent closures and the use of pilot cars on Hwy. 191 in Yellowstone National Park, with heavy smoke causing delays. (You can see how close t0 Hwy. 191 the fire has expanded into Yellowstone via the photo at the top of this page.)

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.

For the fire time the Interior Department contract with a private drone company to monitor a Yellowstone wildfire. Belgrade-based Bridger Aerospace uses a six-foot-long drone to shoot infrared pics and video of the Bacon Rind Fire, giving officials a better picture of the fire and where it is spreading.

Meanwhile, considering the hot and dry conditions experienced in Yellowstone this month, there is minimal fire activity aside from the Bacon Rind Fire. The Basin Creek Fire, first detected on August 10 and caused by lightning in a forested area 5 miles south of Heart Lake, has expanded to 19 acres, but is not impacting Park operations. Every other fire in Yellowstone is now officially out.

Image of Bacon Rind Fire (Aug. 23) courtesy InciWeb.

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