Wednesday, September 4,
2013 – 9:00 a.m.
Six wildfires smoldering in Yellowstone Park
are having no effect on visitors. Three
showed no smoke at all Tuesday. The most
active, the Alum fire, was burning in a few concentrations of heavier fuels and
isolated stumps and roots in the ground.
Firefighters continue to monitor these lightning-caused fires as they are
a natural part of the ecosystem. Those fires refresh and renew the lodge pole
pine forests.
The cooler weather and precipitation the Park
has received the past few days has allowed fire managers to down-size the
organization for the reduced current and expected fire activity. Fire managers feel good that the minimal fire
activity and recent precipitation are giving some firefighters the opportunity
to move on to higher priority fires and others a rest break at home after what
has been a long and strenuous season. These
actions will not jeopardize public or firefighter safety. And if the fire activity again increases, fire
managers have access to the national ordering system to increase the fire
fighting forces quickly and efficiently.
A total of 58 firefighters were involved in operations yesterday (9/3)
and forces will likely be trimmed a little more today.
When the Alum fire was burning strongly to
the west in the third week of August, fire managers laid plans to protect
developed areas along Yellowstone Lake by preparing a defensible fireline
nearby from which to burn out fuels if necessary. Since then firefighters have cleared a
defensible indirect line along much of the power line that runs from the Lake
area to Bridge Bay. Lanes under power
lines are kept clear of large trees to prevent electrical transmission problems
but firefighters widened this corridor and so far no burning has been needed. The brush and material hauled out has gone
into an area burned by the 2009 Arnica fire, south of Bridge Bay.
Firefighters completed most of that task
Tuesday, but are waiting for drier weather so they can remove the mats laid
over marshy areas for machinery to work on and not damage any wetlands.
Additional
information can be found on the web at:
Twitter @YellowstoneNPS
Facebook at YellowstoneNPS
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