Glacier Fire rapidly expands to 11,400 acres

A fire burning in a remote area of Glacier National Park exploded to 11,400 acres as hot temperatures and lack of moisture caused extreme fire behavior in western Montana on Tuesday.

Firefighters also were dispatched to new fire starts outside of the communities of Lincoln and Ovando that caused road closures and a few home evacuations.

The Thompson fire, which started Sunday and continues to burn in the Nyack area of Glacier Park, was 1,900 acres Tuesday morning, grew to 5,500 acres by late afternoon and was listed at 11,400 acres by evening.

Park Superintendent Jeff Mow banned backcountry campfires because of the extreme fire conditions.

“All afternoon it was extreme fire behavior, and it was a mighty large smoke column this afternoon that was visible from many locations across the area,” park spokeswoman Denise Germann said.

The smoke plume was visible from areas on both the west and east sides of the Continental Divide.  The smoke column from the fire, located in the southcentral region of the park, was so heavy that aircraft were unable to fly most of the day, Germann said. As a result, it wasn’t until this evening that firefighters had a more accurate picture of the fire’s growth.

“We’re unable to put firefighters on the ground, so we’re trying to confine and contain,” said Germann, noting the area is too rugged with few escape zones. A Type III Interagency Incident Command Team is working with Glacier National Park to respond to the fire, where 35 fire personnel and two helicopters are working to contain on the blaze Tuesday. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The National Park Service Upper and Lower Nyack Backcountry Patrol Cabins remain threatened by the fire. Containment actions are being taken to protect the lower cabin. These actions include fuel mitigation actions around the site and structure wrap of the cabin. The Thompson fire has prompted closure of the Nyack and Coal Creek areas, including trails and backcountry campsites. Additional trail closures in the area are expected due to increased fire activity, the park said.

The 4,300-acre Reynolds Creek fire, meanwhile, continues to burn within the fire perimeter on the east side of the park. Jordan Koppen, a spokesman for the state Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, said the Scotty Brown fire near Ovando, sparked Monday by lightning, prompted evacuations and the closure of the River Junction Road off of Highway 200 toward Scotty Brown Bridge.