Fire Season Summary

Fire effects crews monitoring the 2016 Maple Fire.

NPS / Jessica Page

 

2021 Fires

There were 13 fires in Yellowstone in 2021. Eleven were lightning caused, while two were human caused. The largest fire in the park during 2021 was the Corral Fire at 0.7 acres.

Name	Reported On	Cause	Acres	Status
Elk Creek Fire	June 24	Lightning	0.1	Out
Divide Springs Fire	July 1	Lightning	0.25	Out
Hard Road Fire	July 1	Lightning	0.1	Out
South Bridge Fire	July 3	Lightning	0.1	Out
Specimen Forks Fire	July 7	Lightning	0.1	Out
Two Springs Fire	July 22	Lightning	0.1	Out
Gull Fire	July 24	Human	0.1	Out
Beaver Lake Fire	July 25	Human	0.1	Out
Corral Fire	July 31	Lightning	0.7	Out
Rocky Fire	August 1	Lightning	0.2	Out
Tele Meadows Fire	August 1	Lightning	0.25	Out
Fossil Fire	August 2	Lightning	0.1	Out
4E2 Fire	August 8	Lightning	0.1	Out

 

2020 Fires

There were nine fires in Yellowstone in 2020. Six were lightning caused, while three were human caused. The largest fire in the park during 2020 was the Lone Star Fire at 4,118 acres.

Name	Reported On	Cause	Acres	Status
Sour Fire	August 1	Lightning	0.1	Out
Soda Fire	August 3	Lightning	0.1	Out
Picnic Fire	August 10	Human	0.1	Out
2H3 Fire	August 17	Lightning	0.1	Out
Cutoff Fire	August 19	Lightning	0.1	Out
Lone Star Fire	August 22	Lightning	4,118	Out
Branding Iron Fire	September 13	Human	0.1	Out
Hancock Fire	September 21	Lightning	0.1	Out
Gibbon Fire	September 23	Human	0.1	Out

 

2019 Fires

There were nine fires in Yellowstone in 2019. Seven were lightning caused, while one was human caused. The largest fire in the park during 2019 was the Brimstone Fire at 217 acres.

Name	Reported On	Cause	Acres	Status
7 Mile Hole Fire	July 17	Lightning	0.1	Out
Sour Creek Fire	July 19	Lightning	0.1	Out
North Entrance Fire	July 26	Human	4.5	Out
Observation Peak Fire	July 30	Lightning	0.1	Out
Pollux Fire	August 3	Lightning	30	Out
Carnelian Fire	August 18	Lightning	0.1	Out
Wyodaho Fire	August 21	Unknown	1	Out
Brimstone Fire	August 26	Lightning	217	Out
Wahb Fire	September 1	Lightning	.05	Out

 

2018 Fires

There were eight fires in Yellowstone in 2018. Seven were lightning caused, while one was the result of an escaped campfire. The Bacon Rind Fire, which started in the Custer Gallatin National Forest and burned into Yellowstone, was the largest fire in the park at 5,200 acres.

Fire Name	Reported On	Cause	Acres	Status
Pow Wow Fire	September 12	Human	0.1	Out
Prospect Fire	August 24	Lightning	0.1	Out
Terminal Fire	August 14	Lightning	0.3	Out
Ray Fire	August 14	Lightning	0.1	Out
Basin Creek Fire	August 10	Lightning	32	Out
Folsom Fire	August 4	Lightning	0.1	Out
Bacon Rind Fire	July 20	Lightning	5,200	Out
Hayden Fire	July 10	Lightning	0.1	Out

 

2017 Fires

There were eight fires in Yellowstone during the 2017 season. Six fires were the result of human activity, while two fires were lightning caused.

Fire Name	Cause	Acres	Status
Marsh Fire	Human	0.1	Out
Canyon Fire	Lightning	0.1	Out
Midway Fire	Human	0.1	Out
Ribbon Fire	Human	0.1	Out
West Boundary Fire	Human	0.1	Out
Potts Basin Fire	Lightning	0.1	Out
Flat Mountain Fire	Human	0.1	Out
Firehole Fire	Human	0.1	Out

2016 Fires

There were 22 fires in Yellowstone during the 2016 season,which burned more than 70,284 acres (28,442 hectares) in the park. Seven fires were the result of human activity, while 15 fires were lightning caused. Eleven fires were suppressed because values were threatened. Many fires were managed to allow them to perform their natural role in the ecosystem. The largest of these fires, the Maple Fire, burned over 51,555 acres in Yellowstone.

Fire Name	Cause	Acres	Status
Grayling Fire	Lightning	0.1	Out
Golden Fire	Human	0.1	Out
Lammar Foot Fire	Human	0.1	Out
Bluff Fire	Lightning	9	Out
Black Butte Fire	Lightning	0.7	Out
Bighorn Fire	Lightning	0.1	Out
Spasm Fire	Human	0.1	Out
Cougar Fire	Human	0.1	Out
Fawn Fire	Lightning	2,706	Out
Hornaday Fire	Lightning	0.1	Out
Maple Fire	Lightning	51,555	Out
Dresser Fire	Human	0.1	Out
Pocket Fire	Lightning	0.5	Out
Buffalo Fire	Lightning	13,697	Out
Boundary Fire	Human	192	Out
Thumb Fire	Lightning	1.9	Out
Grayling 2 Fire	Lightning	0.88	Out
Sand Fire	Lightning	0.1	Out
Central Fire	Lightning	2,129	Out
Jasper Fire	Lightning	0.1	Out
Petrified Fire	Lightning	0.1	Out
Talus Fire	Human	0.1	Out

 

More Information

• 

  Fire Management

  Balancing the benefits and threats of fire.

• 

  Fire Ecology

  Learn about fire's role in Yellowstone.

• 

  Current Fire Activity

  A list of active fires in the park.