Yellowstone Fire Danger Raised to Very High

According to a press release by Yellowstone National Park, fire danger has been raised to 'Very High'.

As of Monday morning, there are no active fires in the park, and there are currently no fire restrictions in place. Campfires are only permitted within established fire rings in campgrounds and some back country campsites. All campfires must be cold to the touch before abandoning. Soak, stir, feel, repeat. To stay updated on current fire activity in Yellowstone, click here.

In the Custer Gallatin National Forest, the fire danger as of Monday is 'High'. There are currently no fire restrictions at this time. Stage 1 fire restrictions went into effect today in the the Beartooth Ranger District which includes the towns of Big Timber, Columbus, and Red Lodge.

In the Beartooth Ranger District, the following acts are prohibited until further notice:

• Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire or campfire unless noted in the exemptions below.
• Smoking, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials.

There are some exemptions. For more information, click here.

According to Inciweb, there are currently three wildfires burning in Montana.

Bear Creek Fire

• 6336 acres as of Monday, August 17. Cause - Lightning.
• Resources: Eight helicopters, two fixed-wing water scooping airplanes, one Type 2 crew, five Type 2 IA crews, three Type 1 crews, 19 engines and 403 total personnel.
• 10% contained

Fields Gulch Fire

• 5 acres as of Monday, August 17. Cause - Unknown
• Two helicopters, three Lincoln Ranger District engines, and the Lincoln Volunteer Fire Department responded on the initial attack.  The fire is situated in Fields Gulch, some six air miles south of Lincoln.  The terrain is densely timbered, steep, and contains a heavy load of beetle killed fuels.  The Lincoln Ranger District's Type IV team is in command of the incident.
• 75% contained

Old Baldy Fire

• 129 acres as of Monday, August 17.
• The Old Baldy Fire is at 50% containment and holding at 129 acres due to the successful efforts of firefighter and aviation resources.