Fire Season Summary

Fire Monitoring Crew
Fire effects crews monitoring the Maple Fire.

NPS / Jessica Page

 

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 Currently 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 largest fire in the park during 2018, the Bacon Rind, started in the Custer Gallatin National Forest, and burned into Yellowstone.

Fire Name Reported On Cause Acres Status
Pow Wow Fire September 12 Human-Caused 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 acres Out
Hayden Fire July 10 Lightning 0.1 Out
 

2017 Fires

The 2017 fire season had eight fires in Yellowstone with less than one acre burned. Six were the result of human activity and the other two were lightning caused.

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

2016 Fires

During the 2016 fire season, 22 fires burned more than 70,284 acres (28,442 hectares) in Yellowstone. Seven were the result of human activity such as a campfire, vehicle operation, or cigarettes. The rest were naturally caused by lightning. 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.

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

Last updated: July 1, 2021

Contact the Park

Mailing Address:

PO Box 168
Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190-0168

Phone:

307-344-7381

Contact Us

Tools