Yellowstone National Park's Lone Star Fire was nearing 1,000 acres in coverage on Sunday, drawing additional crews to protect resources in the Old Faithful complex roughly 3 miles away.
Burning in stands of fir, spruce, and lodgepole pine in the backcountry between the Fire Hole River that streams past the Lone Star Geyser and Shoshone Lake, the 960-acre fire has prompted the closure of backcountry campsites along the north shore of the lake and near the Lone Star Geyser.
The Grand Loop Road between Old Faithful and West Thumb Junction was open, but could close if fire activity increases. Trailheads on the Grand Loop Road between Old Faithful and West Thumb Junction remained closed to the public Sunday. This includes Howard Eaton, Lone Star, Divide, and DeLacy Creek trails.
While Saturday's weather was warm with gusty winds that pushed the fire, Sunday was expected to be cooler and calmer with light winds. Colder temperatures and precipitation were expected to pass through the area on Monday before warmer and drier conditions return midweek, the daily incident report said.
On Saturday two engine crews arrived. There was no active firefighting underway; efforts were focused on protecting the Old Faithful complex in case the fire moved in that direction.
At the Old Faithful complex, a park resource team had finished an archaeological survey and was turning its focus to mapping sensitive riparian habitat and rare plants. This information is expected to help the incident management team minimize impacts to these important natural resources, a park release said.
The fire has been burning to the northeast, away from the Old Faithful complex.
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