For all that happened in Yellowstone in 1988, we now know it, simply, as the "summer of fire."
It was one of the park's driest years on record, and after lightning strikes in June, Mother Nature would not allow mercy on America's wild kingdom.
Almost as overwhelming as the massive flames, were the massive numbers in the end. More than one million acres burned, about 800,000 of those inside Yellowstone's borders -- almost 40 percent of the park.
But Mother Nature would redeem herself, and in what was an entirely natural process, new seeds settled and regeneration of lodgepole pines and other species is flourishing.
Al Nash, Yellowstone National Park: "We hear from some visitors who say 'but the park doesn't look the same,' and they're absolutely right. Things change in Yellowstone, that's what's so exciting about this place -- you can see nature at work." And letting nature work is exactly what brought criticism on the park during the "summer of fire" -- criticism of a fire policy that allowed lightning-caused fires to burn as part of nature's plan. But despite the fires' size, several weeks passed before the park dispatched thousands of American firefighters.
Many don't agree with the criticisms, but accept the lessons.
Yellowstone National Park Ranger: "If you realize you need help, don't hesitate to push the button and say we need help now." It must be remembered that in 1988, it was a different world back then -- Rangers say there was a lack of technology and software that now can predict weather and fire patterns. But with intense fires that were not even broken by wide roads, the extent of help from technology is questionable.
Ranger: "Conditions back then were so severe in terms of fire fuels and weather, as soon as a fire started, there was no time before it was up in the crowns of trees and moving at several miles per hour."
As we tour Yellowstone 20 years later, burn scars are evident, and so are the changes in fire policy.
Take for example the area near Norris Junction. Portions of it have recently been devastated by fire -- on purpose. It's a new strategy to more frequently clear out areas of the park, create a space to defend against future fires, and protect nearby homes and campgrounds.
This in fact is what parts of Yellowstone would have looked like in 1989, when visitors returned.
And in what was then the largest fire fight in America, with upwards of 25,000 people risking their lives, you may be wondering how many men and women were killed...
Ranger: "What people tend to forget is that with all that fire on the ground, we didn't kill anybody, that's significant."
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