Lightning from thunderstorms has touched off a number of wildland fires around Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, and firefighters have responded quickly to contain and suppress blazes as a dry, hot summer has left the region vulnerable to potentially large and dangerous fires.
Fire crews in and around Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks mobilized Thursday to contain a series of small fires sparked by lightning from mid-week thunderstorms, as well as one blaze that may have started from a campfire.
Though the fires are small and have not required road or campground closures, fire managers in the parks and on other nearby public lands are aggressively working to extinguish some fires that could potentially threaten buildings or other key resources. A dry, hot summer and high winds have created prime fire conditions across much of the region.
As dry, hot weather conditions persist and several wildland fires burn throughout the West, land management agencies across the greater Yellowstone area are issuing warnings of elevated fire danger.
So far, only minor road and campground closures have been required as a result of fires in the area.
The fire danger in Yellowstone National Park has been elevated to very high, and it is listed as high in Grand Teton National Park. Park managers advise visitors and residents to exercise extreme caution.
Teton Interagency Fire personnel plan to conduct several prescribed fire projects during April and May, according to information released Thursday by the Grand Teton National Park public affairs office.
Planning for a prescribed burn can take several years, and fire managers work with resource management personnel to develop and write a “prescription” that includes not only the desired treatment but also parameters for wind speed and direction, relative humidity, and fuel moisture in live and dead burnable vegetation.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
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