The lightning caused Bull Fire, located within the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness Area, was discovered late in the afternoon on July 29 and is approximately 168 acres in size. It is located near Bull Mountain, about 12 miles east of Gardiner and is burning in the Hell Roaring drainage.
Gallatin National Forest officials have closed about 2.5 miles of the Hell Roaring Trail (FS Trail #91) east of Gardiner, Montana due to human safety concerns caused by the Bull Fire. The section of closed trail begins at the junction with the Speciman Trail (FS Trail #84) and continues south to the Yellowstone National Park boundary.
The fire is burning in dead and downed trees near the 1996 Coyote and 1988 Hell Roaring fires. At this time, the fire management strategy being used on the Bull fire is designed to achieve the Wilderness Area management direction of allowing fire to play its natural role on the landscape. This is not a hands-off management strategy. Fire management personnel are on-site, patrolling and monitoring the fire behavior and fire movement daily.
The Bull Fire can be seen occasionally from Yellowstone National Park’s Fire Lookout Webcam at nps.gov/yell/photosmultimedia/webcams.htm.
The Bull Fire is the second reported fire on the Forest this year. The fire danger in the Gallatin National Forest is currently “Moderate.” The weather forecast is calling for continued warm and dry conditions with potential afternoon thunderstorms.
