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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Weather aids firefighters in Glacier National Park

A firefighter works to extinguish a hot spot in the Blue Creek fire Sunday near Walla Walla. (Associated Press)
Associated Press

ST. MARY, Mont. – Fire crews were taking advantage of cooler, wet weather Monday as they battled the Reynolds Creek fire in Glacier National Park.

The fire has burned about 5 square miles of timber, brush and grass in rugged terrain on the north shore of St. Mary Lake since it started on July 21. The cause remains under investigation.

One Hotshot team planned to work Monday building a fire line above Going-to-the-Sun Road, which runs along the north shore of the lake. Another crew planned to extinguish hot spots at the head of the fire. Crews have completed fire lines around the east end of the fire, which is now 30 percent contained.

When the sun comes out between rain showers, hot spots revive and fire spreads across the forest floor, fire officials said.

The St. Mary Visitor Center at the east entrance to the park reopened Monday, but an 18-mile stretch of Going-to-the-Sun Road from the visitor center to Big Bend remained closed. Park Superintendent Jeff Mow said Sunday the road will reopen when it is safe.

More than 650 people are fighting the fire. Helicopters have dropped more than 1 million gallons of water, and the cost of fighting the fire has reached nearly $3 million, the Flathead Beacon reported.