Wildfire in Y-stone no threat to visitors

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

By Benjamin R. Bombard

Up north, the number of firefighters battling a fire cooking in Yellowstone National Park has tripled. Two hotshot crews, two Type 2 initial attack hand crews and three additional helicopters arrived at the park on Tuesday to assist the Helena Hotshots, the Lewis & Clark Hotshots and two helicopters already working to control the fire.

As of Tuesday morning, the Beach Fire had grown to 385 acres since sparking on Sunday. It is burning in isolated spots inside a stand of sub alpine fir two miles south of Beach Lake and seven miles west-southwest of the Bridge Bay Campground.

While several factors figure in to the decision to bump up the number of personnel battling the fire - location, fuel, and weather conditions – the fire does not currently pose any risk to park visitors.

“It’s early in the season, but this fire has the potential to last on into September in some fashion,” said Al Nash, public communications office for the park. He pointed out that while meadows and grasses in the park are moist, standing trees and down timber are fairly dry and apt to carry fire. Winds blew the fire north and east on Monday, pushing it towards meadows on the west side of last year’s Arnica fire. Firefighters appear to be succeeding in containing the fire’s growth.

According to a report issued by the National Interagency Coordination Center, as of Tuesday morning, the Beach Fire was 20-percent contained.


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Wildfire in Y-stone no threat to visitors | Planet JH News Article: General Environment

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