Wyoming Official Travelers Journal 2008 - (Page 128) The Yellowstone Fires of 1988: 20 Years Later During the summer of 1988, a large part of Yellowstone National Park was ablaze. Thanks to a record-low snowpack and an almost total absence of rainfall, the park was primed for the most intense and massive forest fires in its history — and Mother Nature delivered. The nation was transfixed as thousands of firefighters were mobilized, tourist areas were evacuated and images of ominous black smoke and burning forests dominated newspapers’ front pages. Almost every development in the park and many of the communities that border it were threatened. Yellowstone’s legendary scenic beauty had been transformed into what appeared on the news to be a fiery wasteland. All in all, close to 800,000 of the park’s 2,221,800 acres burned that summer, causing an estimated property damage of more than $3 million. The total cost of containing the fires was a whopping $120 million. More than 9,000 firefighters, 117 aircraft and 100 fire engines were brought in from around the country. For many who watched the media coverage at the time, the Yellowstone Fires of 1988 were the very definition of a natural disaster. But were they really? Twenty years after the fact, the fires’ beneficial aspects are becoming better known. In 128 Wyoming Official Travelers Journal the (quite literal) heat of the moment, it’s easy to forget that naturally occurring forest fires are an essential part of an ecosystem’s evolution — just as essential as rain, sunshine and vegetation. Studies have shown that major fires on Yellowstone’s northern range occur one to four times each century, while the rest of the park faces largescale burns every 200 to 400 years. These fires are necessary because they renew grasslands and improve wildlife habitat. According to the National Park Service, almost immediately after the 1988 fires, rain and snow broke the remaining ash down into vital nutrients fostering new growth throughout the burned areas. In the regions where lodgepole pine burned, between 50,000 and one million lodgepole pine cones burst open and released their seeds. As a result, the forests began their natural renewal process. During the summer of 1988, park officials worried that the attention focused on the fires would scare away tourists. But thanks in no small part to a better understanding of forest fires’ ecological role and an extensive educational campaign, Yellowstone remains one of the most popular attractions in the world. Instead of symbolizing destruction, the Yellowstone Fires of 1988 have simply become a part of this natural wonder’s long and amazing story. Come see and explore the amazing rebirth and beauty of the diverse flora and fauna of Yellowstone.
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.