Winds Protect Old Faithful

A pall of smoke from a dozen wildfires raging over more than 50,000 acres hung over Yellowstone National Park in northwest Wyoming today, but winds were driving the flames clear of the famed Old Faithful geyser.

More than 1,700 firefighters battled the blazes, including 1,000 crew members massed near the 2,700-acre North Fork Fire that was burning nine miles from the park’s most famous geyser. “With current and predicted conditions, the fire will continue to burn to the northeast and miss the Old Faithful area--go to the north of it,” said Bill Schreier, a Park Service spokesman.