Yellowstone Insider Your Complete Guide to America's First National Park
The call to withdraw resources from the Bacon Rind Fire on the western edge of Yellowstone may have been premature, as warm and dry weather leads to its expansion and an upgrade to the Yellowstone fire danger to Very High.
The last time we posted an update about the Bacon Rind Fire, it had actually receded and the government withdrew services from monitoring it. It was then estimated to have a perimeter of 2,060 acres, with minimal growth expected. The fire remained active on the southern flank, on the south side of the Bacon Rind drainage. Additional areas of activity are on the northern flank, where the fire continues backing down the slope towards Snowslide Creek.
Since then, warm weather and warm nights have led to a revival of Bacon Rind Fire activity, with the current perimeter now estimated to be 3,700 acres. (Remember: the perimeter doesn’t mean all 3,700 acres are on fire. There were plenty of islands of untouched forest within that perimeter.) Smoke from the fire can be seen on Highway 191, but speeds near the fire have been slowed to a posted 45 mph.
Meanwhile, the Yellowstone fire danger has been upgraded to Very High by the National Park Service, thanks to the warm weather and dry conditions and no significant cooling at night. Still, there are currently no fire restrictions in the park. As always, campfires are only permitted in fire rings in campgrounds and some backcountry campsites. All campfires must be cold to the touch before abandoning. And with no new fires emerging since Aug. 24, things are fairly quiet on the Yellowstone fire front — except for the Bacon Rind Fire, of course. Only one of Yellowstone’s active fires — the Basin Creek Fire — over an acre in size. The Basin Creek Fire, first detected on August 10 and caused by lightning in a forested area 5 miles south of Heart Lake, has stalled at 19 acres and is not impacting Park operations.
Image of Bacon Rind Fire courtesy InciWeb.
