More Troops Sent to Battle Park Wildfires

A second wave of U.S. Army soldiers arrived on fire lines in Yellowstone National Park to help battle stubborn wildfires that posed new dangers in several areas Sunday.

Two huge conflagrations near the Wyoming park’s closed South Entrance appeared to be moving toward one another, and firefighters scrambled to cut containment lines to keep the blazes from merging.

The 30,500-acre Huck fire in Grand Teton National Park was moving to within miles of the southern leg of the Snake River Complex blaze, which has grown to 102,984 acres, park spokeswoman Robbie Brockwehl said.

“They are monitoring the Huck fire and are afraid it will burn into Yellowstone,” Brockwehl said.

Meanwhile, firefighters battling four other major blazes in the park were aided by lighter winds, higher humidity and the infusion of 1,000 fresh troops, but some new problems surfaced.

The North Fork and Wolf Lake fires, a single entity of 118,665 acres, jumped some lines over the weekend, and crews were dispatched to push back the flames.

Close to Old Faithful

Also, a spot fire on the southeast front of the North Fork blaze crept to within 3 miles of Old Faithful, but later veered away from the famous geyser that spouts every 65 minutes.

Firefighters ignited a backfire of more than 500 acres in an attempt to keep the 182,100-acre Clover Mist fire away from two towns and some productive timberland.

There were about 3,500 firefighters working on the blazes, and they were to be joined today and Tuesday by 1,000 soldiers from Ft. Lewis, Wash. Last week, 1,200 soldiers from Ft. Lewis were sent to Wyoming for fire duty.

The South Entrance and roads leading to the Grants Village, Canyon Village and Tower-Roosevelt areas remained closed. All other entrances were open.

The fires have engulfed more than 400,000 acres, or 18% of the park, but not everything within the fire perimeters burned, Brockwehl said. Wetlands, rocky areas and some wooded areas behind fire lines were spared.

Park officials denied rumors that the park would be entirely closed.