Wildfires expand in area’s national parks
By Tim Dudley and the AP, Jackson Hole, Wyo.
September 28, 2009
Dry weather and strong winds over the weekend forced Grand Teton National Park officials to change their tack in fighting a fire near Jackson Lake.
A fire in Yellowstone National Park also grew, again shutting down a major road in the park.
Grand Teton’s Bearpaw Lake Fire grew to 1,500 acres by Sunday, park spokeswoman Jackie Skaggs said, and crept closer to Spalding Bay.
Officials had been letting the fire burn to benefit the ecosystem since lightning ignited it Aug. 30. But fire managers are now holding its growth at the southwest shore of Jackson Lake to prevent it from reaching the east side of the lake, turning north and threatening developed areas such as Signal Mountain Lodge.
“So far so good,” Skaggs said Sunday. “We were able to hold that line yesterday, even in the face of some brisk winds.”
Firefighters used two helicopters, along with fire engines and water tenders, to prevent the fire’s spread. Crews from Salt Lake City and Carson City, Nev., also were called in to help.
The east shore trail along Leigh Lake is closed because of the fire, as are several campsites on Leigh, Bearpaw and Trapper lakes and in the Spalding Bay area, park officials reported Sunday. The fire might also require temporary closures of Teton Park Road, officials said in a news release.
The Bearpaw Bay Fire is one of several contributing to smoky skies in Jackson Hole. North winds brought smoke from Yellowstone’s Arnica Fire to the valley over the weekend.
That fire, in southeast Yellowstone National Park, has increased to 13 square miles, and officials on Sunday positioned fire hoses around the historic Lake Hotel as a precautionary measure.
Fire spokesman Bob Summerfield said sprinklers have been set up around the perimeter of the popular Lake Village area and that other structures are being wetted down with fire hoses in case flames arrive.
He said the lightning-caused Arnica Fire is burning about two to three miles from the Lake Village area. It’s also burning about two miles northwest of Bridge Bay with small spot fires within one mile.
Summerfield said the fire has reached a mile-long portion of the Grand Loop Road that connects West Thumb to Fishing Bridge and that the road was closed Sunday afternoon.
About 120 firefighters and five helicopters were trying to prevent the fire from crossing the road, he said.
Prescribed burns in the Gros Ventre mountains and in the Snake River Range are also contributing to the smoke in the valley.
Officials are recommending people with respiratory ailments and young children should stay indoors to reduce exposure to the smoke and that people should avoid physical exertion while heavy smoke exists.
A cold front that is expected to move into the region this week should reduce the smoke, Skaggs said.
