Falcon Fire Information
This page may not be updated daily because there may be no new fire activity to report.
Started: 06 Aug / Out:
UTMs: 4886.8 x 568.1
The Falcon Fire originated on the Bridger-Teton National Forest in the wilderness area. It burned into Yellowstone National Park on August 19 on the ridge above Lynx Creek and spotted into the 1988 Mink Creek burn. The fire is currently estimated to be around 800 acres (10 acres in the park). Fire personnel are doing structural protection of the Thorofare cabin, and some backcountry campsites have been closed to the public. This fire is being closely monitored by park staff.
Update - 18 Sep - Tue
The Fire Management Officer from Grand Teton reported that she and the fire staff from the Bridger Teton had flown this fire last Monday, 9/10 and saw only two smokes and minimal activity.
Update - 16 Sep - Sun
No new information from the Falcon. This fire has not been very active but it still burning. Due to its remoteness, we have not been able to fly the fire area and will do so as soon as we are approved to fly recon missions again. The fire does continue to meet all criteria to remain a fire use fire.
Update - 05 Sep - Wed
Miscellaneous smokes were observed along the east flank, and one heat pocket still persists on at the top of the divide between Falcon and Atlantic creeks. The west flanks also continues to hold some heat. The fire did not cross to the east side of the Yellowstone river, and remains at 3760 acres.
Update - 03 Sep - Mon
Falcon Fire (Suppression under a confine strategy): The fire was mapped today at 3760 acres. Steady southwest winds pushed the fire into curing grasses and willows which now have the potential to create spot fires to the east of the Yellowstone River in the Thorofare Valley. Structure protection equipment remains in place for the Thorofare Backcountry Ranger Station, located to the east of the river. Monitoring will be by aerial patrol in conjunction with Bridger-Teton National Forest.
Update - 30 Aug - Thu
Relatively little activity was evident today. Some heat still remains on the west and south flanks, but no fire spread was observed. The fire continues to skunk around in unburned fuels within the perimeter on the east flank, and one finger was observed burning out in the willow/sedge valley bottom towards the west bank of the Yellowstone river. The north flank was relatively cold. The fire was mapped at 3530 acres.
Update - 28 Aug - Tue
The fire continues to make somewhat dramatic runs upslope to the south of Falcon Creek, which accounts for most of the daily increases in acreage burned. Another day of two of this activity will consume most of the fuels available to the fire in that location. A bowl on the west flank continues to burn out, and about 90% of the fuel in the bowl has been consumed. One finger on the east flank made a run out into the Yellowstone River valley, and was expected to burn to the west bank of the Yellowstone River by the end of the day. Plenty of unburned fuels remain along the east flank of the fire. Isolated torching was observed in some whitebark pine on the extreme northern flank of the fire. The probability that the fire will move north into the Lynx creek drainage decreases with each passing day. The fire was mapped at 3480 total acres, with 900 being inside Yellowstone National Park.
Update - 26 Aug - Sun
Significantly more activity was observed on the east than west flank. Yesterday’s spot fire on the south side of Falcon creek (in the Bridger-Teton National Forest) made an upslope run to the south, bumping into a 1988 burn once it crested the ridge. The east flank continued to burn out unburned fuels within the perimeter, and even extended out into the Yellowstone River valley, reaching the west bank of the Yellowstone in one location. Isolated torching was observed on the west and north flanks, and the fire has yet to get into the Lynx creek drainage to the north. The fire was mapped in mid-afternoon at 2340 acres.
Update - 25 Aug - Sat
Falcon fire…Frequent torching and spotting was again observed along the western flank, where heat continues to build daily. The fire did not yet drop into the Lynx creek drainage, but that seems inevitable over the next few burn periods. The northeastern quadrant up on the Two Ocean Plateau remains cold, but unburned fuels within the extreme eastern flank remain active in the Yellowstone river drainage. The fire also made a short run upslope to the south on the south side of falcon creek. The fire is mapped at 2060 acres and is being managed under the confinement strategy.
Update - 24 Aug - Fri
The Falcon fire has burned 670 acres within the park. Western and central flanks are holding most of the heat. Central head of the fire has crested the ridge between Falcon and Lynx creeks, and should move into Lynx Creek within the next few burn periods. The eastern perimeter is not very distinct with about 40% of the area within the perimeter currently unburned there.
