Date: August 15, 2007
Contact: Al Nash, 307-344-2010
Contact: Stacy Vallie, 307-344-2012
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Yellowstone National Park
P.O. Box 168
Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 15, 2007 07-68
Al Nash or Stacy Vallie (307) 344-2010 or 344-2012
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YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK NEWS RELEASE
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Temporary East Entrance Closure Continues
The East Entrance to Yellowstone National Park remains temporarily closed due to the threat posed by the Columbine Fire.
Park rangers closed the road at the East Entrance and at the Pelican Creek barricade near Fishing Bridge at 7 o’clock Tuesday evening.
The fire has advanced to within a half-mile of the south side of the East Entrance road.
Because of the potential for the fire to continue its advance toward the road, park managers expect the temporary East Entrance closure may remain in effect for a few days. This temporary closure will be reevaluated on a regular basis. Yellowstone National Park intends to reopen the road to traffic as soon as access can be safely resumed.
Despite this temporary closure, all camping, lodging, restaurants, stores, service stations and visitor centers inside the park and along U.S. Highway 14-16-20 between Cody and the East Entrance remain open and fully operational. All other park entrances and roads remain open.
The Columbine Fire poses no threat to park visitors.
Alternate access between Cody and Yellowstone is possible through the park’s Northeast Entrance and the Chief Joseph Scenic Highway. Updated Yellowstone National Park road information is available 24 hours a day by calling 307-344-2117.
This is the second time the East Entrance road has been temporarily closed due to the threat posed by the Columbine Fire, and the third time the road has been temporarily closed this summer. A small mudslide near Sylvan Pass led to an overnight closure in late July. The road had been temporarily closed due to the fire from late Sunday afternoon until 8 o’clock Tuesday morning.
Mark Grant’s Northern Rockies Type 2 Incident Management Team is directing the firefighting efforts on the Columbine Fire. The team’s Public Information Officers are updating Columbine Fire Information on the web at http://inciweb.org/incident/920/, and providing recorded information on the fire 24 hours a day at 307-344-2580.
- www.nps.gov/yell -
