Reynolds Creek Fire grows to 4,000 acres
Located in Glacier National Park
by National Park Service - Glacier National Park
July 23, 2015
Update Thursday, July 23, 2015: The Reynolds Creek fire was reported at approximately 3:45p.m. on Tuesday, July, 21. It was located near Grizzly Point, approximately six miles east of Logan Pass. The fire is burning in rocky, rugged terrain consisting of mixed conifers. The fire is currently being managed by a local Type 3 Incident Management Team. Additional resources are arriving, including fire crews, helicopters, and engines. Greg Poncin’s Type 1 Incident Management Team will assume command of the fire at 10:00p.m. Thursday evening.
Extreme fire behavior continued Wednesday on the fire and by end of shift the fire was approximately 4,000 acres. Fire crews continued to monitor the southwest section of the fire and perform direct suppression where feasible. Along the northeast portion of the fire, water drops were made throughout Wednesday to help slow fire spread, and crews began performing structure assessments northeast of the fire.
Glacier National Park representatives confirmed that the historic Baring Creek Cabin, a National Park Service backcountry cabin, was lost due to the fire. No other structures have been burned, and no injuries have been reported.
Current suppression activities for Thursday include monitoring the southwest portion of the fire and trying to seize opportunities for anchoring the fire into St. Mary Lake. Additionally, crews will work on direct suppression along the northeast flank of the fire, as conditions allow.
Firefighters will also continue assessing the north and east portions of the fire, as well as structure assessment needs in that area, as the fire moves in that direction.
Closures: The Going-to-the-Sun Road is closed between the St. Mary entrance on the east side and Big Bend on the west side.
Glacier National Park is over 1.1 million acres, with numerous, excellent recreational experiences available. Although part of the east-central portion of the park is currently closed to public access, the majority of the park is still open, including Many Glacier, Two Medicine, West Glacier, the west side of the Going-to-the-sun highway, routes along the southern perimeter of the park, as well as numerous trails. Refer to Glacier National Park’s Facebook, Twitter, and FlickR accounts for current information on recreational opportunities.
Evacuations: Several evacuations in and around the St. Mary Visitor Center have been implemented as precautionary measures. Glacier County Sheriff’s Office and Blackfeet Law Enforcement have evacuated the west side of Lower St. Mary Lake and may continue with evacuations on the East shore of Lower St. Mary Lake. The townsite of St. Mary is being evaluated for possible evacuation. The National Park Service employee housing and administrative areas for non-essential personnel have also been evacuated.
Within the park, the St. Mary Campground, the Rising Sun Motor Inn, and the Rising Sun Campground have been evacuated. The St. Mary Visitor Center is closed to the public.
Date Started: 07/21/2015
Size: Approximately 4,000 acres
Percent Containment: 0%
Personnel Assigned: 200, including hand crews and other various personnel
Equipment Assigned: 25 engines
Aircraft Assigned: 6 Helicopters; multiple shared air resources
Cooperating Agencies: Resources from Flathead National Forest, Glacier County, East Glacier, Babb, St. Mary, Cutbank, Evergreen, and West Valley Fire Departments, Blackfeet Fire Management, Montana Department of Natural Resources, Flathead County, as well as Glacier County and Montana Disaster & Emergency Services are assisting Glacier National Park.
Cause: Under investigation
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