YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK –
A lightning-caused wildfire was reported Monday in Yellowstone National Park.
Officials say lightning from recent thunderstorms started a fire on the Promontory Peninsula between the south and southeast arms of Yellowstone Lake in Yellowstone National Park. The fire, 5L4, is named for a nearby backcountry campsite.
The 5L4 fire is currently estimated to be between three and five acres and is located within a 1,500-acre section of unburned vegetation between the 2013 Alder fire and the 1988 Snake fire.
While the fire is visible and growing actively through torching and spotting, it is not threatening any roads or structures. It is anticipated that the fire will naturally confine itself to this area of the peninsula and will be monitored by park fire crews and allowed to play its natural role in the ecosystem. Due to the fire activity, backcountry campsites 5L3, 5L4, and 6A1 have been closed until further notice.
The fire danger in Yellowstone National Park is currently “High”. There are no fire restrictions in place, however, campfires are only allowed in designated grills in park campgrounds, some picnic areas, and specific backcountry campsites.
The National Multi-Agency Coordinating Group, which consists of top federal and state fire managers, raised the National Fire Preparedness Level to 5, the highest level possible, on August 13. The raised preparedness level reflects a high degree of wildfire activity, a major commitment of fire resources, and the probability that severe conditions will continue for at least a few days. There are currently 66 large fires or complexes of fires, burning in 11 states across the west.
A man hiking in the Idaho “Salmon” wilderness around Challis, ID suffered severe burns, and his dogs were burned alive after jumping into a volcanic hot springs normally fit for human swimming.challis-idaho
Above: Google Earth view of the Challis Idaho region, part of the Western Yellowstone magma chamber, also experiencing a noteworthy earthquake swarm over the past several months
By Laura Zuckerman
SALMON, Idaho (Reuters) – A man hiking through a national forest in Idaho suffered severe burns and his two dogs were scalded to death when both canines plunged into a hot spring and he jumped in after them to try to save his pets, authorities said on Tuesday.
The freak accident occurred last week in the Panther Creek Hot Springs, a popular spot in the sprawling Salmon-Challis National Forest, about 50 miles (80 km) northwest of the tourist town of Salmon in east-central Idaho.
Temperatures at Panther Creek, usually mild enough for human bathing, had apparently grown dangerously high, possibly from drought conditions that may have curtailed cool water flows that normally mix with the springs’ geothermally heated groundwater, forest spokeswoman Amy Baumer said.
The hiker, who was not publicly identified, was out walking through the mountains with his dogs last Thursday when both pets leaped into the hot springs, killing one animal outright and prompting the man to plunge into the searing water to rescue the other, authorities said.
The second dog later died of its burns after being taken to veterinarians for emergency treatment.
While forest visitors are advised to test the temperature of hot springs before immersing themselves, the injured hiker acted on instinct in an attempt to save his pet, Lemhi County Chief Deputy Sheriff Steve Penner said.
A U.S. Forest Service firefighting crew that happened to be in the area came to the man’s aid and arranged for a medical helicopter to fly him to a hospital for treatment of severe burns, according to Penner.
Panther Creek draws dozens of visitors annually, and forest managers were unaware of a similar incident ever occurring in the 107-year history of the Salmon-Challis, which spans 4.3 million acres (1.7 million hectares) and numerous hot springs, said Ken Gebhardt, a district ranger.
“The forest is very interested in doing what it can to better inform the public about this accident in hopes of preventing another tragedy,” he said.
Hot springs, the subject of travel guides and copious online commentary by outdoor enthusiasts, are widely dispersed across the Northern Rockies and other regions where volcanic activity and geothermal features are intertwined.
“SALMON, Idaho (Reuters) – A man hiking through a national forest in Idaho suffered severe burns and his two dogs were scalded to death when both canines plunged into a hot spring and he jumped in after them to try to save his pets, authorities said on Tuesday.
The freak accident occurred last week in the Panther Creek Hot Springs, a popular spot in the sprawling Salmon-Challis National Forest, about 50 miles (80 km) northwest of the tourist town of Salmon in east-central Idaho.
Temperatures at Panther Creek, usually mild enough for human bathing, had apparently grown dangerously high, possibly from drought conditions that may have curtailed cool water flows that normally mix with the springs’ geothermally heated groundwater, forest spokeswoman Amy Baumer said.
The hiker, who was not publicly identified, was out walking through the mountains with his dogs last Thursday when both pets leaped into the hot springs, killing one animal outright and prompting the man to plunge into the searing water to rescue the other, authorities said.
The second dog later died of its burns after being taken to veterinarians for emergency treatment.
While forest visitors are advised to test the temperature of hot springs before immersing themselves, the injured hiker acted on instinct in an attempt to save his pet, Lemhi County Chief Deputy Sheriff Steve Penner said.
A U.S. Forest Service firefighting crew that happened to be in the area came to the man’s aid and arranged for a medical helicopter to fly him to a hospital for treatment of severe burns, according to Penner.
Panther Creek draws dozens of visitors annually, and forest managers were unaware of a similar incident ever occurring in the 107-year history of the Salmon-Challis, which spans 4.3 million acres (1.7 million hectares) and numerous hot springs, said Ken Gebhardt, a district ranger.
“The forest is very interested in doing what it can to better inform the public about this accident in hopes of preventing another tragedy,” he said.
Hot springs, the subject of travel guides and copious online commentary by outdoor enthusiasts, are widely dispersed across the Northern Rockies and other regions where volcanic activity and geothermal features are intertwined.”
This sounds like a movie , called Dante’s peak.
The movie involves a plot around an earthquake swarm striking near a volcano, a scientist warning about eruption (but the USGS won’t listen), and then a couple of people dive into a normally warm hot springs, and are boiled alive.
Am I the 21st century version of Dr. Harry Dalton from the movie Dante’s peak? Sure hope not.
CERN’s (25 pages)
8/25/2015 — Yellowstone Alert — Man + Dogs burned alive in Challis Idaho hot springs — Earthquake Swarm Location
A man hiking in the Idaho “Salmon” wilderness around Challis, ID suffered severe burns, and his dogs were burned alive after jumping into a volcanic hot springs normally fit for human swimming. Above: Google Earth view of the Challis Idaho region, part of the Western Yellowstone magma chamber, also experiencing a noteworthy earthquake swarm over
You must be logged in to post a comment.