New wildfire kicks up in Yellowstone ahead of potential season-ending storm

EBS STAFF

The Big Horn Fire, a remote wildfire located in steep, rocky terrain in the northwest corner of Yellowstone National Park. PHOTO BY DOUG KRAUS/NPS

A 5-acre wildfire is burning in steep, rugged terrain in the northwest corner of Yellowstone National Park, south of the Tom Miner Basin, according to a Wednesday evening press release from Yellowstone National Park.

Smoke was spotted by people in the Tom Miner Basin, a recreational area between Emigrant and Gardiner, on Tuesday, Sept. 27, the release states. A helicopter crew from the national park confirmed that evening that a likely lightning-caused fire had started in recent days.

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Fire crews will monitor the fire from the Tom Miner Basin, as the park believes it’s unlikely to leave its boundaries. Forecasted snow and rain over the next 10 days are expected to limit growth of the fire, dubbed the Big Horn fire, according to the release.

“A weather pattern such as the one expected could also be a fire season ending event,” the release states.

Yellowstone officials lowered the parkwide fire danger from “very high” to “high” on Tuesday.