Government or official record
History of Fire Management in Yellowstone
U.S. National Park Service
Where this source supports the record
Each entry separates the article’s editorial relevance note from its exact, section-level claims. A bibliography link without a direct claim is labeled plainly.
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Fires · June–November 1988Open article references →
The Yellowstone Fires of 1988
Yellowstone National Park fire landscape · United States
Why editors use it hereCurrent official history of pre-1988 policy, the 1988 fires, national review, and later management.
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Quick read
During the exceptionally dry summer of 1988, multiple lightning- and human-caused fires burned across Yellowstone National Park and surrounding forests.
Reviewed 26 July 2026 -
Trigger and conditions
Early lightning fires remained relatively small, but July dryness and wind caused rapid spread.
Reviewed 26 July 2026 -
Uncertainty
The often-cited 36 percent refers to park acreage within fire perimeters, not land uniformly consumed; burn severity varied greatly.
Reviewed 26 July 2026 -
Why it matters
Yellowstone changed the public image of fire from simple enemy toward an ecological process that can still exceed management capacity.
Reviewed 26 July 2026
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Quick read