Yellowstone National Park
Q. What started the 1988 Yellowstone fire?
On June 30, 1988, lightning struck a tree in the Crown Butte region of Yellowstone National Park, in the park’s far northwest corner near where the borders of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming meet. The lightning bolt started a small forest fire, which became known as the Fan Fire.
Table of Contents
- Q. What started the 1988 Yellowstone fire?
- Q. Was the Yellowstone 1988 fire good or bad for Yellowstone?
- Q. When was the last big Yellowstone fire?
- Q. Does Yellowstone do controlled burns?
- Q. How many acres burned Yellowstone fire?
- Q. Are forest fires considered a natural cycle?
- Q. Do park rangers put out fires?
- Q. What pest killed a number of trees in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem?
- Q. What killed the trees at Yellowstone?
- Q. What fire was the largest fire in the park?
- Q. Where did Hayman fire start?
- Q. What is the cause of the Grizzly Creek fire?
- Q. How many days did the Hayman fire burn?
Q. Was the Yellowstone 1988 fire good or bad for Yellowstone?
The 1988 fires undeniably changed Yellowstone’s landscape, but they didn’t destroy the park. Seedlings began to appear as early as 1989 and now there are healthy and green 20-year-old trees covering the park. The fires also provided a sort of “living laboratory” for scientists to learn about how ecosystems recover.
Q. When was the last big Yellowstone fire?
1988
Q. Does Yellowstone do controlled burns?
In the 1950s and 1960s, other parks and forests began to experiment with controlled burns. In 1972, Yellowstone became one of several national parks to initiate programs that allowed some natural fires to burn.
Q. How many acres burned Yellowstone fire?
In all, 1.2 million acres burned in the greater Yellowstone area, including 793,000 acres of the park’s 2,221,800 total. On the single worst day, Aug. 20, 2011, now known as “Black Saturday,” strong winds blew the flames across 150,000 acres.
Q. Are forest fires considered a natural cycle?
But fire is a natural phenomenon, and nature has evolved with its presence. Many ecosystems benefit from periodic fires, because they clear out dead organic material—and some plant and animal populations require the benefits fire brings to survive and reproduce.
Q. Do park rangers put out fires?
When a fire occurs, forest rangers work in conjunction with local fire fighters in controlling and putting out the fire. After a fire is contained, the rangers conduct investigations to determine the cause and source of the fire.
Q. What pest killed a number of trees in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem?
native bark beetles
Q. What killed the trees at Yellowstone?
pine beetles
Q. What fire was the largest fire in the park?
The fires almost destroyed two major visitor destinations and, on September 8, 1988, the entire park closed to all non-emergency personnel for the first time in its history….
| Yellowstone fires of 1988 | |
|---|---|
| Cost | >$120 million (1988 USD) |
| Date(s) | June 14, 1988 – November 18, 1988 |
| Burned area | 793,880 acres (3,213 km2) |
Q. Where did Hayman fire start?
Colorado Springs
Q. What is the cause of the Grizzly Creek fire?
Officials determined Monday that the fire is human-caused after ruling out lightning and other potential natural causes. The Grizzly Creek fire erupted outside Glenwood Springs and surrounded Interstate 70 between Gypsum and Glenwood Springs, consuming a mix of oak brush, conifer and Aspens.
Q. How many days did the Hayman fire burn?
20 days
