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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Yellowstone gate opens, closes

Associated Press The Spokesman-Review

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. – The park’s east gate reopened Tuesday morning but shut down again later in the day because of increased fire activity.

The Columbine fire appeared to ease up early Tuesday but advanced toward a section of road about six miles west of the entrance in the late afternoon, park officials said.

Park rangers closed the road at the east gate and at the Pelican Creek barricade near Fishing Bridge at 7 p.m.

It’s the second time the east entrance road has been shut down because of the Columbine fire, and the third time the road has been temporarily closed this summer. A small mudslide near Sylvan Pass led to an overnight closure in late July.

The road was first shut down by the Columbine fire Sunday afternoon; it reopened at 8 a.m. Tuesday.

The lightning-caused fire started last Thursday evening southwest of Sylvan Pass. As of Tuesday, it had blackened some 12,000 acres, or more than 15 square miles.

Fire information officer Terina Mullen said the fire grew slightly on Monday but stayed mainly within its existing borders.

With the east entrance closed, the only other option for Cody-based tourists to get into Yellowstone is a 29-mile detour to the park’s northeast entrance on the Montana line. Tourists staying at lodges along the North Fork of the Shoshone River face an even farther drive.

Despite the closure, visitor services inside the park and all other park entrances and roads remained open and fully operational, Yellowstone officials said.

Park officials said the east gate closure would be re-evaluated this morning.