Here’s the official word on the Reynolds Creek Fire as of about 7:30 am . . .

Facts at a Glance

Size: 3,342 acres Date Started: 07/21/2015 Percent Containment: 63%

Personnel Assigned: 520, including eight Interagency Hotshot crews, five 20-person hand crews, and other various personnel

Location: Approximately six miles east of Logan Pass, four miles west of St. Mary Visitor Center

Equipment Assigned: 12 engines, seven helicopters and multiple shared resources

Cooperating Agencies: Resources from Flathead National Forest, Glacier County, East Glacier, Babb, St. Mary, Cutbank, Evergreen, and West Valley Fire Departments, Blackfeet Fire Management, Montana Department of Natural Resources, Flathead County, as well as Glacier County and Montana Disaster & Emergency Services are assisting Glacier National Park.

Cause: Under investigation Structures Lost: 2 Cost: $7.25 Million

·A community meeting will be held at the St. Mary Lodge tonight, Saturday, August 1, 6-7 p.m.·

Today’s actions: A red flag warning continues for today’s high winds and low humidity. Fire activity has the potential to increase today due to these conditions. Fire should continue to burn actively into the rocks in Rose Creek and Two Dog drainages, located north of the fire’s northern perimeter. Crews are allowing these drainages to burn in order to reduce the amount of fuel in this region. Firefighters will monitor and suppress any spot fires outside fire containment lines.

Closures: The Rising Sun Motor Inn and the Rising Sun Campground remain closed. The Going-to-the-Sun Road remains closed from the St. Mary Campground to Logan Pass on the east side of the park. The road corridor continues to be a hazardous area: trees and rolling debris continued to stop firefighters from freely moving from one location to another; the fire burned actively adjacent to the road, burning through the previously unburned fuel; and smoke was dense throughout the stretch of road within the fire perimeter.

Openings: Going-to-the-Sun Road is open to Logan Pass from the west side of the park. Visitors should continue to expect delays and congestion along the road. The Red Eagle drainage is open for hiking access to Red Eagle Lake, Triple Divide, and the beaver ponds. The Sperry Trail is open from Lake McDonald Lodge to Gunsight Pass. Any travel beyond Gunsight Pass is closed due to fire activity. The Lake Ellen Wilson backcountry site is open.

Glacier National Park remains open, and excellent recreation opportunities abound. Information on current park activities can be found at: www.nps.gov/glac, Facebook.com/GlacierNPS, twitter.com/glaciernps, or flickr.com/photos/glaciernps. Additionally, current conditions can be viewed on park webcams at: http://www.nps.gov/glac/learn/photosmultimedia/webcams.htm.

Winds have the Reynolds Creek Fire burning more intensely, but it is still contained . . .

Heavy plumes of smoke towered above the east side of Glacier National Park on Friday afternoon as a patch of fuel burned within the Reynolds Creek Fire.

“It’s mostly burning in the interior, up in the Rose Creek area,” said Nan Stinson, a fire information officer. A spot in the northeastern corner fueled the increased burn. Stinson said that it was a pocket of vegetation up against some rocks.

Smoke rose into the sky and a portion of the plume could be seen from the Flathead Valley.

Read more . . .

Also read: What’s hot, what’s not, in Reynolds Creek Fire

Uh, oh. It appears the Reynolds Creek Fire was human caused. Here’s the rather terse official press release . . .

The National Park Service is seeking information that may assist with an investigation of the Reynolds Creek Fire in Glacier National Park.

Initial evidence suggests that the Reynolds Creek Fire was caused by human actions.

Park visitors that were hiking in the area of Reynolds Creek on the Gunsight Pass Trail or that may have been staying in or hiking through the Reynolds Creek Backcountry Campground, from July 14 to July 21, are encouraged to call 888-653-0009 or email nps_isb@nps.gov.

The fire was first reported at approximately 3:45 p.m. on Tuesday, July 21, approximately six miles east of Logan Pass. To date, it has burned approximately 3,200 acres.

Another day of steady progress against the Reynolds Creek Fire in Glacier National Park . . .

Evacuation levels in Glacier National Park are being downgraded as the weather improves and fire crews corral sections of the Reynolds Creek Fire.

Officials with the incident did not report any new growth of the fire on Sunday morning. The blaze, which is burning along the north shore of St. Mary Lake in rocky, rugged terrain, remains listed at 3,158 acres. It is 20 percent contained.

Recent rains have subdued the fire, but it still possesses potential for activity if drier weather conditions return, according to fire officials. Forecasters have said a cold, wet weather system would hit the region Sunday and Monday with possible snow in the higher elevations of Glacier Park.

Read more . . .

Also read . . .

Weather keeps Glacier Park fire in check; containment grows

Firefighters use explosives to build line on Glacier Park fire

With more than 450 people battling the blaze, crews continue their steady progress against the Reynolds Creek Fire. The biggest concern is forecast high winds . . .

There was little change overnight in the Reynolds Creek Fire in Glacier Park, as an elite team of firefighters continued to be aided by weather conditions.

The fire, which started on Tuesday, is currently listed as approximately 3,166 acres, according to a press release issued this morning. More than 450 firefighters and support crew members are assigned to the fire, which has been slowed by cool temperatures and rising humidity.

Helicopters were kept engaged throughout the day Friday, assisting crews on the ground by dropping water on the head of the fire at the northeast perimeter.

Read more . . .

See also . . .

More Firefighters Arrive to Battle Glacier National Park Fire

Evacuations remain in effect for Glacier Park fire; new acreage estimate at 3,166

The Daily Inter Lake posted an excellent report on the progress being made by the Type I crew now in place to fight the Reynolds Creek Fire.

Highlights: There are 454 people and a lot of equipment, including some very big helicopters, involved in the effort. The fire is 10% contained, with the emphasis on safety, structure protection and keeping the fire from spotting beyond its current perimeter. The area of the active fire has been reduced to a little more than 3,000 acres . . .

The Reynolds Creek Fire at Glacier National Park is far from under control, but a reduction in total fire size, containment of 10 percent of its perimeter and an expected change in weather are providing a glimmer of hope to fire management officials.

It’s the only wildfire in the country currently being fought by an elite Type I Incident Management Team. Incident commander Greg Poncin, of Kalispell, said Friday that firefighters had brought the fire’s total area to slightly more than 3,000 acres, although the total burned acreage is significantly larger.

He said the primary challenges for his team are the rugged terrain and long-burning, heavy fuels, although the near-continuous daytime winds also haven’t made his job any easier.

Read more . . .

The Reynolds Creek Fire in Glacier National Park is now up to 5,000 acres (maybe — there’s some debate), a Type I team is now in-place to fight the blaze and Sunday may provide some helpful weather . . .

The Reynolds Creek Fire in Glacier National Park grew another 1,000 acres on Thursday, but there may be favorable weather on the horizon this weekend.

The fire is burning from Reynolds Creek east to Two Dog Flats, about 3 miles from the Park’s eastern boundary.

The National Weather Service is predicting a widespread rain event Sunday evening with snow levels dropping to 8,000 feet over the Park and a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms.

Read more . . .

See also . . .

Elite firefighting team takes charge at Glacier Park wildfire (Missoulian)

Wind is enemy as firefighters await chance to prevail (Daily Inter Lake — paywall)

Posted to the Reynolds Creek Fire InciWeb site . . .

Public Meeting: Friday, July 24, 2015, at the St. Mary Lodge in the Great Bear Conference Room
A Public Meeting will be held in St. Mary in the Great Bear Conference Room at the St. Mary Lodge. The meeting will run from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Fire managers will provide an update on current status of the fire and be available to answer questions.