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Warm Weather Fuels Wildfires Across the Region

Firefighters respond to a new 130-acre fire east of Swan Lake in the Flathead National Forest

By Justin Franz
The Thompson Fire plume, visible from the Flathead Valley, on Aug. 11, 2015. Greg Lindstrom | Flathead Beacon

Updated Aug. 13, 5 p.m. 

Warm and dry conditions are fueling five major wildfires that have cropped up across the region this week, and the National Weather Service says conditions are only going to worsen before they improve.

Firefighters were busy responding to fires all around Northwest Montana on Thursday afternoon, including the newest one on the Flathead National Forest that has burned more than 130 acres east of Swan Lake.

The Bear Creek Fire is located on the Spotted Bear Ranger District and was one of 20 lightning-caused fires reported on the forest since Tuesday. Forest Service Public Information Officer Ema Braunberger says that most of the starts reported this week were less than an acre, and as of Thursday afternoon four were already out.

The Thompson Fire, deep in Glacier National Park, had burned 14,900 acres about 15 miles east of West Glacier and 12 miles southwest of St. Mary. In preparation for increased fire activity, a Type II incident management team took over management of the blaze Thursday morning.

Because of the rugged and remote terrain, the National Park Service has deemed it too dangerous to fight the fire with ground resources and has only used helicopters to drop water in an effort to keep the blaze at bay. About 35 people are assigned to the fire.

At least two structures, the Upper and Lower Nyack Backcountry Patrol Cabins, are threatened. Firefighters went in this week to wrap one cabin in hopes of saving it.

The fire has forced the closure of a vast swath of the park’s backcountry, including numerous trails and backcountry campgrounds in the areas of Nyack, Coal Creek, Cut Bank and Two Medicine.

»»» Click here for a complete list of what is open and closed in Glacier Park.

Earlier this week, the National Park Service announced it would only permit campfires in designated “front country” campgrounds, including Apgar, Avalanche, Bowman Lake, Cut Bank, Fish Creek, Kintla Lake, Logging Creek, Many Glacier, Quartz Lake, Sprague Creek, St. Mary and Two Medicine. Only liquid petroleum or LPG-fueled stoves, lanterns or heating devices will be allowed in backcountry.

The Thompson Fire is one of two major fires burning inside Glacier National Park. The Reynolds Creek Fire has burned more than 4,000 acres of land on the east side of the park since late July. It remains 67 percent contained.

Further west, firefighters are battling two large fires in Lincoln County.

The Weigel Fire has burned 120 acres of land about 24 miles northeast of Libby since it started on Tuesday. The fire is burning in heavy timber and smokejumpers were sent in Wednesday to try to contain it.

Because of the fire’s rapid growth, the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation is bringing in a Type II incident management team to fight the fire.

East of Libby, the Dunn Fire has burned about 80 acres near Fisher River. Officials say despite its initial growth on Tuesday, the fire has slowed and is staying on a ridge top.

Hot temperatures and dry conditions will complicate firefighting efforts for much of the week, according to meteorologists. The National Weather Service in Missoula is predicting lightning storms and temperatures in the upper 90s. The Weather Service has issued a fire weather watch for Friday.

This story will be updated when more information becomes available.