Update on Glacier National Park Wildfires

The Thompson Fire Incident Management Team has assumed management of two new fires (Sheep and Granite Fires) on the Flathead National Forest adjacent to Glacier National Park. These three fires are now referred to as the Thompson-Divide Complex. The new fires are located in the Great Bear Wilderness south of Highway 2. They will be assessed today to determine needed suppression actions. The Sheep Fire is estimated at 100 acres and the Granite Fire at 30-40 acres.

The Thompson Fire, reported Aug. 9th, is located in a remote south-central backcountry area of Glacier National Park about 15 miles east of the West Glacier entrance in the Thompson and Nyack drainages west of the Continental Divide. The fire is currently estimated to be 13,680 Acres in size, and is still 0% contained.

Crews will continue constructing a wet line between avalanche chutes on the west side of the fire’s perimeter to contain the fire. This includes the use of helicopter water drops and pumps and hose lays on the ground. Fire personnel in the Two Medicine and Cut Bank drainages will continue monitoring efforts for any fire that might cross to the east-side of the Continental Divide. The fire remains west of the Divide and poses no threat to communities around East Glacier and St. Mary.

The Waterton Lake Fire, which was detected on the west side of Waterton Lake on the U.S. side of Glacier National Park on August 14th, remains at roughly 25 acres in size. A Canadian Type-2 short team and a helicopter have responded to this fire. Several trails and backcountry campgrounds have been closed. The Waterton Shoreline Boat is still running from Waterton to Goat Haunt with no back country access.

The Reynolds Creek Fire near St. Mary Lake continues to burn within the fire perimeter on the east side of the park. For more information on this fire, please click here.

For the most up-to-date information on the expanded trail and area closure statuses, please click here. You can also visit the Inciweb website, or call (406) 314-1669 for updated fire information. 

Although several wildfires are currently burning in or near Glacier, the rest of the park is still open with tons of outstanding hiking opportunities still available. Remember, the park is more than one million acres in size, and there's still plenty of epic Glacier National Park scenery to explore. For more information on many of the hikes in these areas, please click here.



Jeff
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