Three fires burn in Glacier National Park

Karl Puckett | The Great Falls (Montana) Tribune

Two more wildland fires were sparked in Glacier National Park, bringing the total to three, with temperatures near 100 and higher winds in the forecast across northcentral Montana, increasing fire danger.

The Thompson fire first was reported from a fire lookout at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, and had grown to 1,900 acres by Monday evening, according to InciWeb.

It is threatening the Upper Nyack cabin, a historic patrol cabin.

Smoke was present in different areas of the park Monday, but it remains open, said Katie Liming, a park public affairs assistant.

“There’s still lots of opportunities for recreation,” she said.

A smoke plume from the Thompson fire was visible from areas east of the Continental Divide. The fire is burning in heavy timber on the remote Nyack area in the south central portion of the park.

The fire has prompted closures of the Nyack and Cole Creek area, including trails and backcountry campsites and the section of trail from Nyack Creek to Cutbank Pass.

“It’s a suppression fire, so we are working to contain and confine it,” Liming said. “And we’re using both aerial support and natural land barriers.”

At this point, no firefighters are on the ground because the fire is in such remote and rugged terrain, she said.

The cause is under investigation, Liming said.

A Type III interagency incident command team is working with Glacier National Park to respond to the fire, with personnel from the Flathead National Forest, the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation,and National Park Service resources.

Another fire was reported Monday morning in the North Fork area in the northwestern portion of the park, near mile marker 11.5 on the North Fork Road. The fire is estimated to be one-quarter acre in size. Ground and aerial resources were responding.

High temperatures ranging from 95 to 100 are forecast Tuesday through Thursday and isolated thunderstorms are a threat to spark new fires across northcentral Montana, said Jim Brusda, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Great Falls.

“Any thunderstorm, any lightning could start a new wildfire,” Brusda said.

Winds of 20 mph to 30 mph with gusts to 40 are expected Friday on the heels of the high temperatures as a Pacific cool front moves into the area.

“It’s going to dry everything out, and then you have these strong winds to follow,” Brusda said.

A few areas north of Great Falls, including Fort Benton and Loma, could be the hottest, with temperatures in the neighborhood of 100 and 102.

“These temperatures are very warm but overall they’re not record-high temperatures,” Brusda said.

Meanwhile, Glacier National Park and cooperating agencies continue to work on containing the 4,311-acre Reynolds Creek fire, located east of Logan Pass. The fire, which started July 21, is currently 67% contained.

The east side of Going-to-the-Sun Road, which had been closed due to the fire, has reopened and is open for public use between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. daily, with no stopping within the fire area.

The Glacier Boat Co. has resumed boat tour operations at Rising Sun, and the Rising Sun Camp Store, operated by Glacier National Park Lodges, reopened Aug. 8. The Rising Sun Motor Inn and the Two Dog Flats Grill will remain closed.

The cost of fighting the Reynolds Creek fire was listed at $10.1 million as of Friday.