Yellowstone Insider Your Complete Guide to America's First National Park
If it’s August, you know it’s Yellowstone fire season–and sure enough, with the fire danger high, we’ve seen the first two wildfires of the 2020 Yellowstone summer season.
Neither fire was big, neither one is active, and both were sparked by lightning strikes. The Sour Fire, located near the Mirror Plateau, was spotted by the park’s Mount Washburn Lookout on the afternoon of August 1. Precipitation fell on the fire shortly after detection and it has not been seen since. The Soda Fire, located several hundred yards south of the Soda Butte formation in Lamar Valley, was reported by a visitor August 3, in the evening. Fire staff suppressed the fire due to its location.
There are no current fire restrictions in Yellowstone National Park, but visitors are asked to take care in a time when the fire danger is rated high. Campfires are only permitted in fire rings at campgrounds, and at some, not all, backcountry campsites. All campfires must be cold to the touch before abandoning.
