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Q2 Rewind: 30 years ago, the 1988 Yellowstone Fires captured the nation’s attention

Posted at 8:42 PM, Sep 03, 2018
and last updated 2018-09-04 07:23:12-04

 

BILLINGS — The 1988 wildfires in Yellowstone National Park were a turning point in the nation’s relationship with wildfires.

Never in recent memory had the country seen such fire and fury tear through its first national park, coming so close to treasures like the historic Old Faithful Inn, threatening small communities like Cooke City and Silver Gate.

Labor Day weekend of that year was especially tough for the residents of Silver Gate and Cooke City. Ordered to evacuate, they faced the impossible decision of whether to leave everything behind or disobey the evacuation order.

For this week’s Q2 Rewind, we look back at that dramatic moment and much, much more in a deep dive into our archives of coverage of the ’88 fires.

Click play on the video above to take a trip through the archives, along with memories of that fire season from former Q2 News Director Al Nash, who still informs the public about wildfires in his current role as spokesman for the Bureau of Land Management.

This week’s Q2 Rewind was edited by Justin Hosa.