Fishing Bridge, WY - Fighting fire in Yellowstone National Park has been a unique and special experience for the members of the Northwest Oregon Interagency Incident Management Team and the more than 500 firefighters who have been battling the East and Grizzly Fires since August 14. "When you arrive in Yellowstone National Park you certainly know you're in a very special place," said Dale Gardner, Incident Commander. "Our Incident Management Team and National Park Service staff have been working closely together to minimize the impact of suppression tactics and to leave this special place in as good or better shape than we found it. Living and working among the bison, grizzlies and other wildlife in the park has certainly presented some unique challenges but it has also been a big part of the special memory we will all carry with us when we leave here," Gardner said.

The Incident Command Post and Fire Camp are located in an open area in prime bison and grizzly bear habitat. Firefighters have learned the importance of "food security", a park term for the careful handling and storage of food, food-waste and any other personal items that have an odor. "Food security" is an important component of the park's efforts to protect park visitors and to prevent wildlife from associating campsites and visitors with food. "Over the years, we've found that if we do our job right and handle our food and food-waste properly, we can help keep our wildlife focused on their natural foods and habitats away from our visitor facilities," said Eric Reinertson, Resource Management Coordinator." Reports of grizzly sightings and fresh grizzly scat in remote, backcountry "spike" camps in the fire area are certainly keeping our firefighters and resource advisors alert and persistent on all food and food-waste handling issues," Reinertson said.

Firefighters have also been working around herds of bison that wander through the fire camp at Fishing Bridge and occasionally delay traffic along roads within the fire area. "Since it's currently bison breeding season and many bulls are in the "rut" firefighters have had to step back at times and let the bison move on through," Reinertson said. Air operations have been delayed at times when bison wander onto the helibase and pilots have to wait for the bison to clear the landing area. "One morning the mechanic working on the heavy-lift Skycrane helicopter looked down to see two bulls going head-to-head underneath the tail of the aircraft," said Terry Beahan, Air Operations Branch Director. "When it came time to climb down off the helicopter, he did his level-best to verbally encourage them to leave the area," Beahan said.

Fire tactics have stressed utilization of pre-existing barriers (lakeshore, wet meadows, paved roadways and rocky ridges) to reduce the need to construct fireline in some areas. As the fire nears full containment, firefighters have been concentrating on rehab activities designed to reduce any potential long-term impacts from suppression activities. Where hand-dug firelines are located on slopes, water bars are being installed to help prevent erosion. Whenever snags and fire-weakened trees were felled, crews flush-cut stumps to reduce visual impacts. Crews also worked to replace sod on firelines cut through meadows and to remove any traces of human occupation in backcountry "spike" camps.

Operational Update: As of 5:00 p.m. Thursday, the size of the East Fire Complex (East and Grizzly fires combined) is estimated at 23,500 acres. A total of 568 firefighters are assigned to the incident (2 Type 1 crews and 12 Type 2 crews), supported by 11 engines, 4 tenders, 1 heavy lift helicopter, 3 mediums and 1 light helicopter. Current containment is estimated at 70 %, with 2 miles of line left to build. Estimated cost to date is $6,300,000. There was no infrared flight on Wednesday night so no breakout is available for acreage by individual fire. The estimated containment date has been moved back to September 15, 2003 because of a decision to not establish control lines on approximately 2 miles of fire perimeter through a 1919 burn area located on the southwest corner of the East Fire near Clear Creek. The fire has not been active in the burn area; a contingency line has been established; and the fire will be monitored for growth from the air until a season-ending weather event.