The Latest
—Type 2 team takes command of Glacier Park fires
—Going-to-the-Sun Road reopens on the west side
—Rain expected later this week
Updated: Sept. 19, 10:55 a.m.
A Type 2 incident management team has taken command of two fires in Glacier National Park as cooler weather slowly brings the 2018 fire season to a close.
At 6 p.m. Tuesday, Joe Sampson’s Northern Rockies Type 2 Incident Management Team 5 was put in charge of the Howe Ridge and Boundary Fires in Glacier National Park. The Howe Ridge Fire on the west side of Lake McDonald has burned 14,522 acres and is 39 percent contained. The Boundary Fire near Waterton Lakes National Park is 2,911 acres and 36 percent contained.
Cool temperatures and even some rain in recent days have kept both fires relatively calm as firefighters focus on removing hazardous trees from the Upper Lake McDonald area. The Going-to-the-Sun Road reopened to private vehicles earlier this week, although the Fish Creek Campground, North Lake McDonald Road and Kelly’s Camp remain closed.
The Howe Ridge Fire has cost more than $12 million to suppress since it exploded on Aug. 12 from a small burn smoldering in the brush into an inferno that destroyed a number of historic cabins.
A number of other fires continue to burn across the region. The Paola Ridge Fire near Essex has burned 1,111 acres and is 63 percent contained. The Gold Hill Fire near Libby has burned 6,523 acres and is 45 percent contained.
The Flathead National Forest is preparing to do a number of prescribed burns in the North Fork area in the coming days. Local residents are warned that they may see smoke in some areas from those fires.
The National Weather Service in Missoula is forecasting temperatures in the 60s and rain showers for the rest of the week.
This story will be updated when additional information becomes available.