The Yellowstone fires of 1988 collectively formed the largest wildfire in the recorded history of Yellowstone National Park in the United States. A total of 793,880 acres, or 36 percent of the park, was affected by the wildfires. Thousands of firefighters fought the fires, assisted by dozens of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft which were used for water and fire retardant drops. No firefighters died while fighting the Yellowstone fires, though there were two fire-related deaths outside the park.
About Yellowstone fires of 1988 in brief
The Yellowstone fires of 1988 collectively formed the largest wildfire in the recorded history of Yellowstone National Park in the United States. A total of 793,880 acres, or 36 percent of the park, was affected by the wildfires. Thousands of firefighters fought the fires, assisted by dozens of helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft which were used for water and fire retardant drops. The fires almost destroyed two major visitor destinations and, on September 8, 1988, the entire park closed to all non-emergency personnel for the first time in its history. Only the arrival of cool and moist weather in the late autumn brought the fires to an end. The firefighting effort cost USD 120 million. Losses to structures were minimized by concentrating firefighting efforts near major visitor areas, keeping property damage down to USD 3 million. No firefighters died while fighting the Yellowstone fires, though there were two fire-related deaths outside the park. No adverse long-term health effects have been recorded in the ecosystem and, contrary to initial reports, few large mammals were killed by the fires. Not long after the fires ended, plant and tree species quickly reestablished themselves, and native plant regeneration has been highly successful. The worst loss of life in United States history due to a wildfire occurred in 1871 when the Peshtigo Fire swept through Wisconsin, killing more than 1,500 people. The Great Fire of 1910 burned 3,000,000 acres, destroyed a number of communities, and killed 86 people; this event prompted various land management agencies to emphasize wildfire suppression.
Before the late 1960s, fires were generally believed to be detrimental for parks and forests, and management policies were aimed at suppressing fires as quickly as possible. In contrast, in 1988, Yellowstone was overdue for a large fire, and, in the exceptionally dry summer, many smaller “controlled” fires combined. In the decades before 1988, a policy was adopted of allowing natural fires to burn under controlled conditions, which proved highly successful in reducing the area lost annually to wildfires. By the beginning of World War II, more than 8,000 fire lookout towers had been constructed in the U.S. By 1940, many public lands had been torn down due to many torn down by many wildfires. The majority of forestlands, including the National Park Service, oversees the majority of the nation’s forestlands. Before 20th century, most forest managers believed that fires should be suppressed at all times, and that all wildfires were to be suppressed by 10a m m. A number of catastrophic fire events over the years greatly influenced fire management policies. The Santiago Canyon Fire of 1889 in California and especially the Great fire of 1910 in Montana and Idaho contributed to the philosophy that fire was a danger that needed to be suppression. The U. S. Forest Service’s fire management policy stipulated that all fire management efforts should be carried out by 10,000 men during fire seasons and generally staffed by young men duringFirefighting crews were established throughout the morning after they were first spotted.
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