Fire Season Summary

a wildfire burning in a valley of trees and grasses
Maple Fire in 2016

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2023 Fires

There were five fires in Yellowstone in 2023. All were lightning caused, and the largest fire in the park during 2023 was the Hitching Post Fire at 0.5 acres.

Name Reported On Cause Acres Status
Pup Fire July 22 Lightning 0.1 Out
Hitching Post Fire July 26 Lightning 0.5 Out
Site 9 Fire August 12 Lightning 0.1 Out
Douglas Knob Fire September 13 Lightning 0.1 Out
Yancey Fire October 1 Lightning 0.1 Out
 

2022 Fires

There were seven fires in Yellowstone in 2022. Six were lightning caused, while one was human caused. The largest fire in the park during 2022 was the Big Horn Fire at 5.8 acres.

Name

Reported On

Cause

Acres

Status

Obsidian Fire July 20 Vehicle 0.1 Out
Telemark Fire August 16 Lightning 0.1 Out
Gray Fire August 29 Lightning 0.1 Out
Phantom/Pitchstone Fire September 6 Unknown 0.1 Out
Glen Fire September 8 Lightning 0.1 Out
Geode Fire September 8 Lightning 0.1 Out
Big Horn Fire September 27 Lightning 5.8 Out
 

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

Last updated: November 22, 2023

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Mailing Address:

PO Box 168
Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190-0168

Phone:

307-344-7381

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