The Yellowstone Fires of 1988
. . . . Smokey Bear must be 

upset. I know I am. You must 

be hot in those suits.

—Julie James, Casper WY

I thank you for helping put out 

the fire . . . Does the snow and 

rain put out the fire? I heard 

that you sometimes have to 

sleep in ditches and that you 

have only 48 hours to eat and 

sleep. It must be very hot 

working out there.

—Alicia Bell, 5th grade, 

Crawfordsville, IN

My dad has a cabin in Cooke 

City [Montana] and you saved 

it! . . . How does it feel to be so 

close to all the burning and 

roaring and smoke? 

—Kevin Planalp, 4th Grade, 

Bozeman, MT 

Rainbows fill the sky where 

smoke was. Thank you, fire 

fighters!

—Jori, Kindergarten, 

Laurel, MT

Is there a bomber plane, 

number 68? Because if there is, 

it’s my dad. . . . what is it like to 

be surrounded by huge flames 

with a water hose? Good luck 

with the fires. 

—Blair Bullinger, 

4th Grade, Bozeman, MT

Thank you for saving the 

towns of Yellowstone and its 

meadows and mountains. 

Thank you for saving habitats 

of the birds, mammals, and 

reptiles. It’s probably going to 

snow so you might get a nice 

long sleep! . . . 

—Joey, Bozeman, MT 

Adults wrote, too

. . . . Three weeks ago the 

smoke was so great in 

Cheyenne that our eyes hurt 

and many of us had headaches. I can almost imagine 

how terrible you feel from the 

smoke and heat plus many 

extra hours you’re working. 

—Mary Lou Edgar, 

Cheyenne, WY

I am glad to have the 

opportunity to say thank you 

to the firefighters. I, along with 

all Montanans, appreciate all 

the efforts through the long 

weeks of summer that continue on through today. Best 

wishes for your continued 

safety & thank you. 

—Jean Pirrie, Bozeman, MT

To the Ladies of Broadus, Montana, 

On behalf of the men and women fighting the fires, I 

would like to thank you for your very considerate gift 

of homemade cookies. From the speed with which they 

disappeared, I know they were appreciated by all of us 

in fire camp and on the fireline. That you made the 

long trip to Mammoth (330+ miles!) to deliver them 

personally made them even more special. 

—Dan Sholly (Chief Ranger in 1988)

When the school year began in September 

1988, Yellowstone’s fire fighters began 

receiving hundreds of letters and drawings 

from students around the country. 

Dear Firefighters . . . 

Yellowstone National Park

National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior

Most graphics, photos, and text from Yellowstone National Park files and archives. 

Exceptions: front page, bottom inset photo & back page, cookie photo courtesy C. Duckworth; 

page 5 graph adapted from a graph in Atlas of Yellowstone (in production) ©2008 University of 

Oregon; anecdotes on pages 6–7 from the individuals listed. 

Printed on recycled paper with vegetable ink. 2008
The Yellowstone Fires of 1988

June 14, 1988:

A small fire starts on 

Storm Creek, just 

north of Yellowstone 

National Park. . . . 

The Storm Creek Fire 

and many other fires 

would keep burning in 

Yellowstone until cool, 

wet weather arrived in 

the fall.

Now legendary, the 

“Summer of Fire” 

brought people, 

science, and wild 

nature together like 

never before or since. 
Highlights from the 1988 

summer briefings:

July 21: A smoky haze hangs 

over much of the park today. 

The weather forecast calls for 

another hot day.

July 22: Lewis Lake Campground closes because the 

Red Fire “is getting close.”

July 24: Fragmentary reports 

from Grant Village indicate 

fire crews were wetting down 

buildings at 5 pm.

July 26: At the Clover-Mist 

Fire, now 46,000 acres, 

“Helicopters from Cody are 

the only way in and out of 

these [fire] camps.”

July 30: We’ve had reports of 

elk and small mammals like 

rabbits feeding peacefully on 

unburned vegetation in the 

midst of smoke and burned 

over places. . . .

August 4: Grant Visitor 

Center will reopen on 

Saturday. No campfire 

programs will be offered. 

August 13: Many places in 

the park got rain yesterday. 

August 15: The North Fork 

Fire was pushed by high 

winds yesterday. It surrounded the Madison campground, 

started spot fires in the staff 

housing area, and began spot 

fires as far north as Gibbon 

Falls. The road between 

Norris and Madison is 

closed.

August 17: Last Sunday the 

Clover-Mist Fire burned into 

a thermal area; sulfur caught 

fire resulting in poisonous 

gases. Seven firefighters were 

treated for inhalation of these 

gases. 

August 18: The road between 

Madison and Norris is closed 

. . . The road from the West 

Entrance to Old Faithful is 

open but headlights are 

required. . . . The Madison, 

Norris, and Pebble Creek 

campgrounds are closed until 

further notice. The Norris 

Geyser Basin is open although this may change later 

today. . . .

August 20: The weather 

forecast for today calls for 

warm and windy conditions. 

That means fighting fire will 

be difficult at least. . . .

August 22: The 4th Battalion 

of the 23rd Infantry of the 

111th Field Artillery from 

Fort Lewis, WA, arrives today 

. . . to work the Clover-Mist 

Fire. A second group will 

come Tuesday. Both will 

relieve weary firefighters. . . . 

As new helicopters arrive for 

fire service, they will all be 

military ones. Don’t be 

surprised to see green helicopters with white stars flying 

overhead. 

Storm Creek Fire begins.

Red Fire begins.

Fan Fire begins.

Shoshone Fire begins.

On a backcountry fishing trip near the 

eastern border of Yellowstone, Vice 

President George H.W. Bush must leave 

early when fire comes close to camp.

June July August

14 23 25 30

The park begins suppressing all fires. 

21

Mink & Clover fires begin.

11

Lava Fire begins.

5 14 22 23 30

The Clover Fire burns a corral at the 

Calfee Creek Backcountry Ranger 

Cabin; rangers must dive under their 

emergency fire shelters as flames 

overtake them.

Clover & Mist fires join.

Sportsman Lake Patrol 

Cabin, in the northwest 

corner of the park, is 

burned by the Fan Fire.

31

Shoshone Fire jumps the 

road and comes close to 

West Thumb Geyser Basin; 

the basin is evacuated.

8 10

North Fork Fire surrounds Madison 

Campground and begins spot fires 

north to Gibbon Falls.

14

Hellroaring Fire 

begins just north 

of the park.

15

A Blazingly Long Summer

The park’s 1988 

summer season 

began quietly, 

according to the 

“Daily Park 

Briefing,” a daily 

recording from park 

headquarters that 

updated rangers 

about park events 

and conditions. 

During June, park staff heard 

mostly about bear activity near 

public areas and trails. A few 

fires had begun (see timeline 

above), but they were small and 

seemed insignicant compared 

to news about the “the worst 

drought since 1934. Barge 

traffic on the Mississippi River 

is restricted by low water. . . . 

In Alabama, the National 

Guard is hauling water to 

persons whose wells have gone 

dry. . . . Some scientists are 

saying this marks the beginning of the ‘Greenhouse 

Effect.’” 

Then, the July 1 briefing 

reported the Fan Fire was 

sending out enough smoke to 

be noticed by the public. July 3 

reported the growth of the Red 

Fire near Lewis Lake; July 6 

reported three more fires, and 

so on. The July 15 briefing 

began, “The big news today 

has to do with fire . . .” and the 

big news stayed about fire for 

the rest of the summer. 

North Fork Fire begins.

Lewis Lake Campground 

closes as the Red Fire 

approaches.

Grant Village is evacuated 

as the Shoshone Fire 

approaches.

Shoshone & Red fires join.

North Fork Fire approaches 

Madison Junction.

2
Fire storm blasts Rain and snow fall.

Old Faithful area in 

afternoon; historic Inn 

is saved; no one is 

injured.

Residents of Mammoth 

evacuated. 

September

3 7

“Black Saturday”—

Fires double to more 

than 480,000 acres.

20 10 11

North Fork Fire 

burns boardwalks 

at Artists Paintpots.

18 19

Smoke is so heavy 

that drivers must 

use headlights.

Fire sweeps through Norris 

Geyser Basin; Grant Village 

evacuated a second time; 

fire comes within 4 miles of 

Silver Gate, Montana; Huck 

Fire threatens South 

Entrance & causes Flagg 

Ranch to be evacuated.

22 24

Huck Fire forces 

second evacuation of 

Flagg Ranch

26 31

Mt. Sheridan fire 

lookout evacuated.

August 25: Most of the fires 

within Yellowstone were fairly 

active yesterday. . . . Canyon 

Village was evacuated in an 

orderly manner. . . . Fuel 

reduction around West 

Yellowstone is taking place to 

help protect the town. 

August 26: Superintendent 

Bob Barbee declares that 

Yellowstone will not charge 

entrance fees because park 

facilities and travel around the 

park have been restricted by 

the fires.

August 29: Canyon Visitor 

Center reopens. . . . CloverMist Fire within one-quarter 

mile of US 212 [the road from 

the Northeast Entrance 

through Silver Gate and 

Cooke City, Montana].

August 30: Two escaped 

convicts tried to rent their 

stolen truck to the fire crew. 

Rangers arrested them. . . . 

Bison have been rubbing 

parked helicopters overnight; 

fencing has been ordered to 

protect the helicopters.

August 31: An arm of the 

North Fork Fire is 5 miles 

from Old Faithful. If winds 

increase, the fire could threaten Old Faithful in a few days.

September 2: Crews are 

preparing to defend Silver 

Gate and Cooke City.

September 3: The North Fork 

Fire is 1.25 miles from West 

Yellowstone; bulldozer lines 

are in to protect the town.

September 4: There’s one bit 

of bright news in all this soot: 

a meadow south of Grant 

Village that burned in July is 

now sprouting green grass.

September 5: Visibilities this 

morning around the park 

ranged from 300 feet at West 

Yellowstone to one-quarter 

mile at Mammoth. 

September 6: Old Faithful 

employees have been contacted about the possibility of 

evacuation; there’s a meeting 

at Lake today for all employees 

to discuss possible evacuation 

plans. . . . At Norris, green 

grass is sprouting just two 

weeks after fire went through 

the area. 

September 7: Officials declared a state of emergency 

yesterday in Cooke City. 

Martial law has been imposed. 

This means the remaining 

residents can be forced to 

leave. . . . The Montana 

governor has issued an order 

banning all nonessential 

outdoor activity beyond cities, 

towns, and settlements in 

Montana. The order includes 

all outdoor recreation such as 

hiking, hunting, picnicking, 

and camping. 

September 8: The only park 

road currently open is North 

Entrance to Swan Lake Flats. 

. . . Embers hit the roof of the 

Old Faithful Inn but firefighters put them out. . . . [outside 

Cooke City] several summer 

homes were lost. . . and a 

number of homes and trailers.

A strategy meeting was held 

this morning on contingency 

plans for the protection of 

Mammoth. . . . 

September 9: All park roads 

are closed except North 

Entrance to Mammoth; North 

Fork Fire is five miles south of 

Mammoth.

September 10: Evacuation 

ordered for Mammoth 

residents and employees. . . . 

Lake evacuated too.

September 11: SNOW!

September 13: Cool weather 

continues to aid in the firefighting effort.

September 14: Campgrounds 

re-open, no fees charged . . . 

Governor of Montana lifted 

his order closing the state to 

recreational uses. . . . and the 

Marines have landed (to help 

mop up the fires).

September 23:

This is the last briefing for this 

most incredible summer. . . . 

It has been my priviliege to 

report to you the historic 

events we’ve all lived through.

—Jack de Golia

Huck Fire begins.

North Fork Fire burning on 

two fronts now: north from 

Norris and east toward 

Canyon.

Canyon Village evacuated.

Pahaska Teepee (near East 

Entrance) evacuated.

6

Cooke City & 

Silver Gate 

evacuated.

4

Storm Creek Fire burns 

over Silver Tip Ranch, 

north of park; historic 

ranch survives.

Visitors & employees 

evacuated by 10 am.

In the evening, North Fork 

Fire crests Bunsen Peak 

and threatens Mammoth.

9

A storm of media blew 

into Yellowstone in July 

and stayed through 

September. The park’s 

superintendent, Bob 

Barbee (facing camera, 

below), spent many hours 

talking with reporters to 

help them understand the 

fire-fighting strategy. 

3
Looking at the Fires Closely

After the fires ended, 

Yellowstone Park staff 

began planning new 

trails and exhibits to 

help visitors understand 

the historic fires. The 

trail at right still exists, 

on the road between 

Norris and Canyon. 

Fire is part of Yellowstone

Fire has been a natural force operating in the Yellowstone 

ecosystem for thousands of years. The vegetation here is adapted 

to survive fire and in some cases is dependent on it. For example, 

lodgepole pines produce some cones that open only with intense 

heat (photo above). Some plant communities depend on the light 

that reaches the forest floor after a fire has killed the thicklyspaced trees that shade a mature forest. Cavity-nesting birds, 

such as bluebirds and woodpeckers, move in after a burn to make 

their nests and homes in the dead trees.

Nevertheless, fire scares most people—and that’s a big reason 

why wild fires make such news and why much misinformation is 

spread. Here are some facts about the 1988 fires and what we’ve 

learned in the last 20 years. 

Facts about the 1988 fires

u 9 fires caused by humans; 42 caused by lightning.

u Fires begun outside of the park burned 63 percent

or approximately 500,000 acres of the total acreage.

u In Yellowstone National Park itself, the fires affected—but 

did not “devastate”—793,880 acres or 36 percent of total park 

acreage.

u About 300 large mammals perished as a direct result of the 

fires: 246 elk, 9 bison, 4 mule deer, 2 moose.

u The 1988 fires comprised the largest fire-fighting effort in the 

United States up to that time:

—$120 million spent fighting the fires.

—25,000 people involved in these efforts.

u After July 21, park managers ordered that all fires be fought, 

including natural fires that had been allowed to burn.

u Firefighters saved human life and property, but they could 

do little to control or stop the fires because weather and 

drought made the fires behave in unusual ways.

u Contrary to what was feared, the fires of 1988 did not 

deter visitors. In 1989, more than 2,600,000 people came to 

Yellowstone—the highest annual vistation of the 1980s.

What scientists have learned

u Temperatures high enough to kill deep roots occurred in less 

than one-tenth of one percent of the park, where conditions 

allowed the fire to burn slowly for several hours. If water was 

available, new plant growth began within a few days.

u Plant growth was unusually lush in the first years after the 

fires because ash was rich in minerals and more sunlight 

reached the forest floors. 

u About one-third of the aspen in the northern range burned 

in the 1988 fires—but the aspen stands were not destroyed. 

Fire stimulated the growth of suckers from the aspen’s 

underground root system and left behind bare mineral soil 

that provided good conditions for aspen seedlings.

u Aspen seedlings also appeared throughout the park’s burned 

areas, becoming established where aspen had not been 

before. 

u Burned pine bark provided nutritious food for elk in the first 

years following the fires.

u Many of the forests that burned in 1988 were mature lodgepole stands, and this species is recolonizing most burned 

areas. Other species—such as Engelmann spruce, subalpine 

fir, and Douglas-fir—have also emerged. 

u About 24 percent of the park’s whitebark pine forest burned 

in 1988. To study what would happen after the fires, scientists set up 275 study plots. By 1995, whitebark pine seedlings 

had emerged in all the plots. 

u The fires had no discernible impact on the number of grizzly 

bears in greater Yellowstone.

u In a study from 1989–92, bears were found grazing more 

frequently at burned than unburned sites, especially on 

4
Yellowstone’s park 

photographer chose 

specific locations to 

photograph in 1988 and 

subsequent years. This 

set was taken 3 miles 

east of the West Entrance 

in 1988 (left) and 1998 

(right).

This graph compares fire acreage in Yellowstone from the time it became a 

park until 2003. The fires of 1988 covered so much ground that this arrow 

was longer than the graph could show. The graph is adapted from one 

appearing in Atlas of Yellowstone (in production) © University of Oregon.

To learn more about fire in Yellowstone, stop at fire waysides around the 

park, visit the Grant Visitor Center, look for books & DVDs in park stores, 

download a free podcast and find other fire information at www.nps.gov/

yell, and visit www.GreaterYellowstoneScience.org.

clover and fireweed. 

u Fires burned through areas surrounding Yellowstone and 

Lewis lakes, but scientists found no significant changes in 

fish growth in streams and rivers flowing into or out of these 

lakes.

u The moose population has dropped in Yellowstone, in part 

because of the loss of old growth forest during the 1988 fires.

What you could see then, and can see now

u In the first few years, fireweed and other wildflowers flourished in the newly sunny and enriched soils, and grasslands 

returned to their pre-fire appearance. 

u Within five years, new lodgepole pines became visible among 

the burned remains of the previous forest. 

u After ten years, hikers learned to be careful as they walked 

through forests burned in 1988 because the dead trees were 

beginning to fall, especially on windy days.

u After 20 years, views opened up by the fires of 1988 are 

beginning to disappear as the lodgepole pine forests grow 

thick and tall again.

Inspired by the fires

u New boardwalks and exhibits began appearing in 1989. In 

the photo on page 4, top right, visitors walk into an area on 

the road between Norris and Canyon that had burned extra 

hot because many trees had been blown down in a windstorm a few summers before.

u Donations from children helped inspire “The Children’s 

Fire Trail,” which looped through a burned patch of lodgepole between Mammoth Hot Springs and Tower Junction. 

Because the trees grew back so quickly and strongly, the trail 

was transformed in 2003 to tell the story of “The Forces of 

the Northern Range.”

u New wayside exhibits were installed around the park to 

explain aspects of the historic fires. Look along the West 

Entrance Road, in the Lewis River Canyon, across from 

Bunsen Peak near Mammoth, and on the road near Tower 

Junction; they are being updated in 2008. 

u Grant Village was threatened by the fires for much of the 

summer, and it was evacuated twice. So this visitor center 

was the logical location for a new exhibit about fire ecology, 

management, and history in Yellowstone. Stop by the Grant 

Visitor Center today to see this exhibit and the film. 

u Months before the fires started in 1988, the staff of Yellowstone National Park had decided to begin a new program to 

encourage students to express themselves in art and writing. 

They hadn’t decided on a theme for the first year, but the 

amazing fires of that summer made the choice easy. Hundreds of students from around the country submitted 

poems, paintings, sculptures, and other art forms. “Imagine! 

Yellowstone” was a huge success in its first year, and continued to inspire creativity in children for the next decade.

The future of fire in Yellowstone

Since 1988, fires have continued to burn in Yellowstone—more 

than 85,000 acres as of 2007. According to historic records, 

that’s to be expected. However, the average number of lightningstarted fires has been increasing each year since the 1990s. The 

majority of scientists believe this increase is due, in part, to 

climate change. They say that, generally, the western United 

States will experience increasingly intense fires—fires similar to 

those of 1988. 

In Yellowstone, though, some scientists think the story will be 

different. By examining charcoal from fires that burned 8,000 

years ago, when temperature increases equal what we are now 

experiencing, they know those fires were more frequent but less 

intense than today. Whether this holds true for the future of fire 

in Yellowstone remains to be seen.

5

1885 1890 1895 1900 1905 1910 1915 1920 1925 1930 1935 1940 1945 1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000

Historic Military 1881–1917 Historic National Park 1918–1944 Fire Suppression 1945–1971 Nat. Regulation 1972–1987 Post 1988 198

8

10,000

20,000

30,000

Acres 0
Stories from the Fires

Jim Barrett, resident, 

Cooke City, Montana

Shortly after the Storm Creek 

Fire began, two friends and I 

drove up Daisy Pass to take a 

look at the fire off in the 

distance. We saw a man and a 

dog, with scorched clothing 

and fur, walking aimlessly 

through a meadow. We 

crammed the man and his 

dog in with us and started 

back to get them first aid. He 

said they had been camping 

and were completely taken by 

surprise by the fire. They 

were forced into a creek, 

where they stayed—the man 

holding his dog with him 

underwater as the fire storm 

blew over them. They spent 

the night huddled together 

until morning when they 

began hiking. I won’t forget 

the image and the smell of 

two creatures who looked 

liked they had rolled around 

in a campfire. 

Luke Miller, resident,

Livingston, Montana 

We lived up on the north hill 

here in town [50 miles north 

of Yellowstone]. Sometime in 

July, I remember looking 

down Paradise Valley and 

seeing the smoke cloud 

rolling up the valley. It got 

here in 3 hours.

Greg Dalling, Xanterra 

Parks & Resorts

I was driving a tour bus with a 

group and we were scheduled 

to stay at Grant Village for 

two nights. The smoke was 

thick, and many passengers 

were nervous about staying 

there. I let the passengers 

know that we had had smoky 

conditions on and off for a 

few weeks and they need not 

worry. . . . but the next 

morning our wake-up 

“knocks” were two hours 

early because we had to 

evacuate immediately. Most 

of the passengers beat me to 

the bus with luggage in 

hand—I think they must have 

slept with their clothes on! It 

was weird leaving the village 

with an entire tour group not 

knowing where we were 

going to stay that night.

Richard Parks, business 

owner, Gardiner, 

Montana

Mid-summer, I’m floating 

with my fly-fishing clients 

down the Yellowstone River. 

By lunch time, the mushroom 

clouds boiling up off the fires 

had us pretty well surrounded with the Fan Fire to our 

west, North Fork to the 

southwest, Lava to the 

southeast, and Clover-Mist 

dominating the eastern 

horizon. It looked like 

somebody had decided “let’s 

play tactical nuclear war.” 

Then the fish started to rise to 

the ash hatch as burnt pine 

needles fell out of the Fan 

Fire cloud.

Mike Dahms, resident, 

Livingston, Montana 

We loaded up the family and 

drove down Gallatin Canyon 

[U.S. 191] to West Yellowstone. The smoke was so 

thick you couldn’t see the 

trees; we were afraid for the 

kids breathing all that smoke, 

so we turned around and 

came home.

Carol Shively, 

interpretive ranger, 

Grant & West Thumb

For everyone involved in the 

Yellowstone fires, there is a 

particular day that stands out 

above the rest. For me, it was 

July 31st, the day the fire hit 

West Thumb. We headed into 

the geyser basin to clear 

visitors, but some were 

reluctant to leave—they were 

captivated by the mushroomlike cloud of smoke rising to 

the north, the helicopters 

dipping low to fill their water 

buckets in the lake, and the 

planes dropping red retardant drops that streaked 

across the sky. And then it 

came. Tongues of fire 

whipped through the air and 

seemed to roll over the 

horizon toward us. With 

terrific force, the wall of 

flames approached the road, 

hesitated slightly, and then 

rushed up on the other side, 

even greater than before. The 

fire was crowning in the trees 

surrounding the geyser basin. 

I stood frozen in place, 

mesmerized by the sheer 

power before me.

Betsy Mitchell, 

resident and employee, 

Yellowstone National 

Park

On a day off, I drove to 

Madison to see what was 

happening out in the park. I 

was amazed at the scene of fly 

fishermen peacefully casting 

in the Madison River as 

flames were coming over the 

ridge from the south and 

helicopters dipped water 

buckets downstream from 

them. It was later that night 

that the North Fork Fire 

jumped the river and West 

Entrance Road and made a 

significant run through the 

Gibbon Canyon.

These first-hand 

accounts give you an 

idea of what it was like 

to live and work in and 

near Yellowstone 

National Park during 

the summer of 1988.

6
BLACK SATURDAY

Bill Berg, Yellowstone 

Park Service Stations

On a rare day off, my wife 

Colette (a park ranger) and I 

hiked up Washburn to hang 

out with Jim, the fire lookout. 

It was amazing up there. The 

Clover-Mist Fire to the east 

was throwing flames way 

above the tree tops. The 

Norris area fire was blowing 

up and roads were closing. On 

the park radio we heard 

chatter that Grant Village was 

being evacuated a second 

time. We soaked it all in, 

digested it, then jogged back 

down Washburn and drove 

back to Grant to help everyone evacuate. It was surreal 

and unforgettable.

Rich Jehle, interpretive 

ranger, West 

Yellowstone

After what seemed like weeks 

of hard work and no fun, I got 

a day off. So I got up early and 

headed north to a secret brook 

trout stream near Mammoth. 

Although it was pretty windy, 

the fishing was very good, and 

after going at it all day and 

into the early evening I started 

back toward Madison. But the 

roads were closed at Norris, 

and when I went back north 

and tried to go around the 

Grand Loop, I was stopped at 

West Thumb too. After a half 

hour, a ranger led me and 

other vehicles over the pass to 

Old Faithful. I finally arrived 

home at midnight—where my 

boss sent me right back out to 

patrol the West entrance road. 

That night, the hillside south 

of the road was glowing with a 

million embers for as far as I 

could see up or down river. 

Later, I learned that my great 

day fishing, and the subsequent adventures, came to be 

called “Black Saturday,” the 

single most active fire day of 

the entire 1988 season!

Roger Anderson, 

interpretive ranger, 

Grant 

The second evacuation of 

Grant came on August 20, a 

day that became known as 

Black Saturday. Rangers and 

visitors were stranded at the 

visitor center by downed trees. 

I cleared away the trees with 

the ax we normally used to 

split firewood for the campfire 

programs. As soon as visitors 

got out, we ran toward the 

lodging area where hundreds 

of other visitors and employees were eating lunch, unaware of the danger. We 

cleared the restaurant, the 

employee dining room, and 

got the lodging staff to clear 

hotel and employee housing 

units. Then we commandeered firefighter buses to 

take employees to Fishing 

Bridge, a safe zone. 

Michael Stuckey, 

interpretive ranger from 

Hawaii, brought in to 

fight fires

My memories of these weeks 

in Yellowstone are full of back 

breaking work, lots of frustration over lack of success in 

slowing the fires, and a few 

terrifying moments when the 

fire was literally in charge of 

our fate. August 20, “Black 

Saturday,” was especially 

notable since we spent most of 

a very long day in a safety zone 

trying to hold back 100-foot 

tall wind-driven flames that 

threatened to overcome our 

crew. This was only one of 

three separate incidents that 

safety zones were used and 

the last ditch fire shelters were 

ready to deploy. The CloverMist Fire will forever live in 

the memory of anyone who 

experienced it. 

Jerry Kahrs, business 

owner, Gardiner

In the last week of August, my 

friend Point and I went to 

Canyon to gather wood that 

the park had offered to locals. 

We borrowed a big truck and 

drove through the smoke and 

flames, seeing groups of 

yellow-vested firefighters and 

some military personnel 

dousing flames or digging 

trenches. Overhead was the 

constant clapping of helicopters and hum of flying water 

tankers dropping water and 

retardant on hot spots. When 

we reached Canyon we were 

delighted to help ourselves to 

several cords of wood and 

headed home. A few days later, 

glowing embers were blowing 

into town; my wife Christina 

and I had to move all that 

wood again, away from our 

neighbors and to the back of 

our lot overlooking the 

Yellowstone River. We set up 

sprinklers to dampen the roof, 

the parched yard, and the 

tinder-dry wood. Those trees 

finally burned, but in the 

safety of my wood stove. 

Julia Page, business 

owner, Gardiner

The night of September 9, the 

house was shaking from the 

wind, so I wondered what the 

fires were doing and went to 

the window. There was a red 

glow over Bunsen! I drove up 

toward Jardine to look. . . . 

Gradually the glow got 

brighter until finally I saw 

actual flame over the treetops 

to the left of the peak. After a 

while I could see balls of flame 

leaping across the treetops, 

dancing back and forth, and 

huge, high billows of flame 

leaping on the skyline. I went 

home and watched a while 

longer from the living room 

and then went to bed. The 

next day I drove to Grant 

Village to look through the 

fire records so I could begin 

writing up the story of the 

Snake River Complex for 

congressional oversight 

hearings.

As fires approached, towns on the park’s border 

were soaked with water to protect them. The towns 

were spared—although Cooke City’s perimeter was 

burned. The fires generated extra income for the 

towns as they fed famished firefighters, housed 

media crews, and sold fire-related souvenirs.

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