Fire
Glacier National Park in Montana is on fire.
The Sprague fire has burned 6,388-acres and is 35% contained.
The fire has burned down the 103-year-old Sperry Chalet built in 1914.
Evacuations are currently in place for all residents and visitors in the Lake McDonald/Logan Pass area.
The Going-To-The-Sun road is closed from Lake McDonald to Logan Pass.
Glacier National Park Closures:
- Evacuation Orders: Based on recommendations from the Sprague Fire Incident Management Team, Glacier National Park has issued an Evacuation Order effective September 3, 2017 at 10 am for all residents and visitors from the south end of Lake McDonald to Logan Pass.
- Road Closures: Going-to-the-Sun Road is closed from the south end of Lake McDonald to Logan Pass
- Visitor Facility Closures: Sperry Chalet is currently closed due to the Sprague Fire.
- Trail Closures: The Sprague, Snyder, and Lincoln Creek drainages and associated trails, from Lake McDonald Trailhead on the west and Gunsight Pass on the east, are closed to all use.
- Backcountry Campground Closures: Snyder Lake, Sperry, Lake Ellen Wilson, Lincoln Lake.
“An evacuation order is now in place for all residents and visitors from the south end of Lake McDonald to Logan Pass. Going-to-the-Sun Road is closed from the south end of Lake McDonald to Logan Pass. Apgar remains open as well as Logan Pass, which is now accessible only from the St. Mary (east) side of the park.
The following Lake McDonald area concessions operations are currently closed:
-Lake McDonald Lodge and Cabins, operated by Glacier National Park Lodges (Xanterra) http://www.glaciernationalparklodges.com/
-Glacier Park Boat Company tours (boat tours from Lake McDonald Lodge) http://glacierparkboats.com/
-Swan Mountain Outfitters (horseback rides from Lake McDonald Lodge)
http://www.swanmountainoutfitters.com/glacier/https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/article/5510/39842/” – Glacier National Park, yesterday
Approximate Location
Incident Overview
The Sprague Fire was reported the evening of August 10 and is burning above Crystal Ford on the Gunsight Pass Trail. The Northern Rockies Type II Wildland Fire Management Team is now managing the fire.
Daily updates are available here:https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/news/5510/
Maps of the fire perimeter: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/maps/5510/
Visit http://go.nps.gov/glacconditions for trail and road info.
A fire information line will be staffed 8am-8pm.Please call 406-888-7077 if you have questions about the fire and how it might impact your visit.
You may be able to view the fire from Glacier National Park’s webcams:https://www.nps.gov/glac/learn/photosmultimedia/webcams.htm
Basic Information
| Current as of | 9/3/2017, 7:44:16 PM |
|---|---|
| Incident Type | Wildfire |
| Cause | Lightning/natural |
| Date of Origin | Thursday August 10th, 2017 approx. 08:30 PM |
| Location | 9 miles northeast of West Glacier, MT |
| Incident Commander | Northern Rockies Type II Fire Management Team, led by Diane Hutton |
Current Situation
| Total Personnel | 127 |
|---|---|
| Size | 6,833 Acres |
| Percent of Perimeter Contained | 35% |
| Estimated Containment Date | Wednesday November 01st, 2017 approx. 12:00 AM |
| Fuels Involved | Timber (litter and understory) |
| Significant Events | Red Flag Warning in effect until 9 pm MDT Monday. Haines Index 6 for Sunday. Crown runs and spotting in Lincoln Creek up to Lincoln Lake as well as movement down valley. Long range spotting into Walton Creek. Flanking, group torching, short crown runs and spotting in Douglas-fir on the south side of Mt. Brown toward lower Snyder Creek. Backing, flanking, group torching and short crown runs in Lower Sprague Creek/Lincoln Ridge in Spruce-fire. |
Outlook
| Planned Actions | Assess and check fire spread on the Lake McDonald side of Mt. Brown.
Continue sprinkler system and bucket support in Snyder Creek. Continue mop up and patrol in the Sperry Chalet complex area. Bucket work and retardant use as needed for Mt. Brown Lookout. Continue structure protection in the Lake McDonald area. Utilize helicopter bucket drops in Snyder Creek to minimize the potential of fire crossing the creek near Crystal Ford Bridge. Assess presence of fire in Avalanche Lake and Lake Ellen Wilson areas. |
|---|---|
| Projected Incident Activity | Extreme fire behavior expected. Red Flag Warning in effect until 9 pm MDT Monday. Approximately 1 mile of new flank in Lincoln Creek and Lincoln Ridge is perpendicular to the predicted cold front winds. Expect group torching, crown runs and long range spotting on lower Lincoln Creek and Lincoln Ridge. Expect group torching and short crown runs and spotting on south side of Mt. Brown. |
| Remarks | The evacuation order being implemented along the Going-to-the-Sun Road due to predicted weather and fire behavior but also due to the current and deteriorating air quality anticipated in the coming days. Areas included in the evacuation order include all public facilities, trails, campgrounds etc. accessed by and adjacent to Going-to-the-Sun Road from Apgar Campground to Logan Pass.
The looming cold front with associated east winds is expected to breach the Mt. Brown trail bringing fire to the west face of Lake McDonald. Percent complete (Block 8a) is calculated by weighting the contribution of each of five primary operational objectives to the overall incident operations and estimating the percent complete for each objective. |
Current Weather
| Weather Concerns | A Red Flag Warning remains in effect through 2100 Monday. Main weather concern is a dry frontal passage which will bring a shift in wind direction that is not favorable for this incident. Winds will abruptly shift from the west to the east before midnight Sunday, pushing the fire and dense smoke toward Lake McDonald. Easterly winds are expected to persist through Monday before diminishing.
Temperatures today reached the 80s with humidity minimums in the teens. Cooler temperatures and somewhat higher humidity is expected Monday, but with little or no cloud cover and no rain. A warming trend will begin Tuesday with above normal temperatures returning Wednesday and Thursday. With high pressure building almost directly overhead this will result in stable conditions, light and variable winds, and little or no smoke transport. Concern is for smoke concentrations to increase within the Lake McDonald and West Glacier areas. |
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