Brimstone Fire Expands to 80 Acres Overnight

Well, that didn’t take long: since we first posted a story about the Brimstone Fire, it expanded from a single acre to 80 acres overnight, visible from many parts of Yellowstone National Park.

As of now the Brimstone Fire, located on the eastern shore of Yellowstone Lake, is not threatening any visitors or services, and all roads in the area remain open. However, smoke from the fire in may be visible from Bridge Bay, Lake Village, Fishing Bridge, the East Entrance Road, and communities east of the park. The rapid growth to 80 acres, thanks to hot and dry weather, is certainly noteworthy. You can see the boundaries of the fire here:

The following closures are current:

• Campsites 5E1, 5E2, 5E3, 5E4, 5E5, 5E6, 6B4
• Thorofare Trail between 5E8 (just south of the spur trail to 5E8 campsite) and Beaverdam Creek

Park officials are rerouting backpackers around the impacted area.

Besides the Brimstone Fire, there are three wildfires currently under observation in Yellowstone National Park. (All fire activity can be tracked here.) The Pollux Fire, first detected on the evening of August 3 from the Mount Washburn fire lookout, is still regarded as an active fire and being monitored. While performing an aerial reconnaissance on the morning of August 4, Shoshone National Forest fire staff located the fire in the vicinity of Pollux Peak. Mapped at 30 acres, the remote fire does not pose an immediate threat to established trails, backcountry campsites, or patrol cabins.

Detected on August 18: The Carnelian Fire, one mile west of Dunraven Pass. This is a small wildfire, estimated at a tenth of an acre. It is still regarded as an active fire, albeit smoldering, and being monitored.

Detected by a medical aircraft on August 21: the Wyodaho Fire, about three-quarter-mile east of Wyodaho Lake in the Bechler District. The one-acre fire is smoldering and creeping in grass and open timber. It  is less than a mile from the Bechler River Trail and is about 600 feet above the trail. Currently there are no trail or campsite closures associated with this fire although a one-mile diameter area closure has been implemented to provide a margin of safety around the fire area.

Map and photo courtesy National Park Service.