The Hancock Fire was discovered Monday morning in the southeast corner of Yellowstone, by a ranger on a backcountry patrol near Heart Lake.
It was discovered by a ranger on backcountry patrol.
The fire is only 0.1 acre in size, so far only affecting a single tree in the area.
The situation has been analyzed as having low spread potential. Given its relative isolation – several miles from the nearest trail – there will be no direct action to stop the relatively minor blaze. There are no trail or campsite closures.
In the meantime, the park’s fire staff will continue monitoring the fire. It’s so small at this point, the fire hasn’t even received a post on InciWeb.
Meanwhile, the Lone Star Fire continues minimally burning in the south-central area of Yellowstone, near Old Faithful. Cold weather and some rainfall helped to reduce its activity.
The Lone Star Fire stands at 3,914 acres in size. All of the trail and campsite closures related to it remain in effect.
The similarity between the Hancock and Lone Star Fires is the cause. Both are believed to have been caused by lightning strikes rather than human activity. A strike was seen near the location of the Hancock Fire and is believed to cause the blaze.
Neither of these Yellowstone fires merits daily updates unless there is a significant development or change in their intensities.
