Yellowstone received significant moisture park wide in the form of rain and in many locations heavy snow. Park roads were closed into the interior of the park and all interior passes were closed.
This was considered a season ending event added to the moisture that was received on Tuesday and Wednesday and with the forecast for more moisture in the Saturday and Sunday range.
Due to safety reasons, no fire monitors were sent out to monitor the fires and the interpretative personnel also stayed in the office today. The weather precluded any aviation recons of the fires. The contract helicopter will be released for the season on Friday, 12 Oct 2001.
It is expect that the jackpots of 1000 hour fuels to continue to smolder and put up some smoke but we do not expect any further growth in any of the fires unless we go back to some extreme hot, dry and windy weather that would melt all the snow.
The fire management staff will keep close watch and monitor the fires that have not been declared out and will do fixed-wing recons on an as needed basis.
The plan will be to try and do a PALMIR flight later in the month to determine if the fires are indeed out cold.
Did You Know?
Lake trout are an invasive species of fish that is decimating the native cutthroat trout population in Yellowstone Lake.