Yellowstone National Park Fire Danger Lowered to High from Very High
According to a press release, Yellowstone National Park has lowered the parkwide fire danger from very high to high, due to an average of two inches of rainfall across the park during the week of August 16.
Due to the lower fire risk, stage 1 fire restrictions that were put in place on July 1 are no longer in effect.
This year there have been 13 fires in Yellowstone, with the first being reported on June 24, and the most recent one on August 8.
All fires have been less than an acre, with most being around .25 or .1 acres wide, with only two being caused by humans, and the rest from lightning.
While this is a greater number of wildfires than the past several years since at least 2016, several other years have had fires that covered well over 2,000 acres.
The park will evaluate the need for restrictions for the remainder of the fire season.
The lifting of restrictions also mean campfires are allowed within established fire rings in campgrounds and some backcountry campsites.
There are also currently no active wildfires in the park, however more information about Yellowstone’s fire activity can be found on their website.
Visibility in the park varies due to drifting smoke from various wildfires throughout the country, with the air quality for Monday listed as moderate, compared to last week when it was one step above, at unhealthy for sensitive groups.