Columbine fire explodes. Yellowstone East Entrance closed.
Sunday was great fire expansion day all over Western Montana, NW Wyoming, central Idaho, and SE Idaho. Among the many fires, the Columbine Fire which had been slowly growing about 7 miles south of the East Entrance, blew up.
Story on many of these fires in today’s (Aug. 13) Billings Gazette. Park’s East Entrance remains closed; Hicks Park fire still east of road. By the Gazette staff.
Photo of Columbine fire on Aug. 12 from near Fishing Bridge. Park Service Photo.
Update. The East Entrance to the Park will probably be opened at 8 am on Tuesday, August 14.

Ralph Maughan
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University. He has been a Western Watersheds Project Board Member off and on for many years, and also its President. For many years he produced Ralph Maughan's Wolf Report. He was a founder of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition. He and Jackie Johnson Maughan wrote three editions of "Hiking Idaho." He also wrote "Beyond the Tetons" and "Backpacking Wyoming's Teton and Washakie Wilderness." He created and is the administrator of The Wildlife News.
Subscribe to Blog via Email
Join 929 other subscribersRecent Posts
- Time to Reevaluate Notion That Oregon’s Rivers Are A Faucet For Agriculture January 27, 2023
- Indian Influence On The Extinction of Bison In Southeast Idaho and Adjacent Areas January 27, 2023
- Chaparral and Wildfire January 25, 2023
- Wildfire–Road Removal A More Effective Wildfire Strategy January 25, 2023
- More wildfire misinformation from UC Davis January 21, 2023
Recent Comments
- Jerry L Thiessen on Indian Influence On The Extinction of Bison In Southeast Idaho and Adjacent Areas
- Martha S. Bibb on Indian Influence On The Extinction of Bison In Southeast Idaho and Adjacent Areas
- Jeff Hoffman on Indian Influence On The Extinction of Bison In Southeast Idaho and Adjacent Areas
- Jeff Hoffman on Time to Reevaluate Notion That Oregon’s Rivers Are A Faucet For Agriculture
- Jeff Hoffman on Indian Influence On The Extinction of Bison In Southeast Idaho and Adjacent Areas
- Jerry L Thiessen on Indian Influence On The Extinction of Bison In Southeast Idaho and Adjacent Areas
- Ralph Maughan on Time to Reevaluate Notion That Oregon’s Rivers Are A Faucet For Agriculture
- Ida Lupine on Indian Influence On The Extinction of Bison In Southeast Idaho and Adjacent Areas
- Jerry L Thiessen on Indian Influence On The Extinction of Bison In Southeast Idaho and Adjacent Areas
- Jeff Hoffman on Wildfire–Road Removal A More Effective Wildfire Strategy
- Deane Rimerman on Wildfire–Road Removal A More Effective Wildfire Strategy
- Jeff Hoffman on Wildfire–Road Removal A More Effective Wildfire Strategy
- Deane Rimerman on Wildfire–Road Removal A More Effective Wildfire Strategy
- Jeff Hoffman on Chaparral and Wildfire
- Jeff Hoffman on Wildfire–Road Removal A More Effective Wildfire Strategy