Despite the Maple Fire consuming 27,101 acres, other fires burning, and the South Entrance closed due to a fire between Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone fire officer Bill Swartle said chances of festivities being disrupted are “absolutely none whatsoever”.
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However, cooler, damper weather has moderated fires burning in Yellowstone, and officials say all events planned this week for the National Park Service centennial are going on without a hitch.
Travelers coming from the south can still access Yellowstone through Idaho and the park’s West Entrance.
The main fire has burned about 10 square miles since it was started by lightning last month.
The largest blaze spans about 42 square miles between the community of West Yellowstone, Montana, and Madison Junction, an area in the park with a campground, visitor facilities and staff housing.
The 100th anniversary celebration of the creation of the National Park Service is not jeopardized by fires in Yellowstone National Park, according to a spokesman. It had burned more than 10 square miles and destroyed at least five homes, officials said.
Cal Fire’s Rich Eagan says flames were more than two miles from Hearst Castle, which remains closed but was no longer at immediate risk.
Several other fires in Central California have burned tens of thousands of acres of brush and prompted evacuations of campgrounds and recreation areas. Growing wildfires stoked by windy, dry conditions have destroyed buildings and forced evacuations in California, Washington, Montana and elsewhere.
No evacuations are in place but the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office has contacted some homeowners east of Idaho Falls and asked that they be prepared to go if the fire heads their way.
Authorities say a wildfire that destroyed 45 homes on California’s central coast was not intentionally set but they were still trying to determine the cause.
A fast-moving rangeland wildfire in eastern Idaho expanded to almost 70 square miles Wednesday, forcing evacuations, threatening a windfarm and burning habitat needed by sage grouse.
Authorities ordered evacuations east of Thompson Falls after a fire doubled in size to almost 11 square miles. A wildfire on California’s central coast grew to almost 58 square miles Tuesday.
Fire spokeswoman Sierra Hellstrom said Wednesday that wind and high temperatures Tuesday afternoon had pushed the fire to 1.4 square miles.
A central Idaho wildfire expanded to 150 square miles and residents of about 125 homes in the area remained under low-level evacuation notices.
Grand Teton park and the Wyoming Department of Transportation have posted signs warning drivers of the closure.
Despite its being well over a week old, the fire surged with new activity on Monday and threatened to jump the lines that were containing it, though by day’s end containment remained at 35 percent. The weather was cooperating again Wednesday with lighter winds and higher relative humidity forecast.
Crews were battling a small wildfire in northern Utah that was approaching a ski resort and a separate blaze in southern Utah burning through sage grouse habitat.
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The cause of the fire has yet to be determined. It was ignited Saturday when a car’s broken catalytic converter sent hot debris into grassy rangeland. It remains 60 percent contained.
