Here is the official Thursday evening report on the status of the Glacier Rim Fire:
Release Date: Jul 2, 2015
The Glacier Rim Fire is burning on the Glacier View Ranger District, in the Flathead National Forest and Glacier National Park. This fire is being managed with full suppression tactics, with fire fighter and public safety as a priority.
Fire Summary:
Location: North of Columbia Falls, MT, approximately 11.5 miles up the North Fork Road, in the vicinity of Glacier Rim.
Current Status: The Glacier Rim Fire started on June 27, 2015. The fire is burning in the old 2003 Robert Fire burned area. The fuels are mixed heavy dead timber and brush, with significant snag hazard. The fire is primarily located west of the North Fork Road, though it did spot across the North Fork River into Glacier National Park.
Yesterday, Wednesday July 1, the fire continued to burn hot within the interior of the established perimeter. Fire lines built during the previous days were reinforced. Sprinklers were set up in multiple locations including in the steep northern edge of the fire to maintain the perimeter of the fire. The helicopters continued cooling hot spots along the fire line. All known spot fires within Glacier National Park are dead out. Firefighter efforts are challenged due to safety concerns involving danger of large snags originally burned in the Robert Fire of 2003.
Today, Thursday July 2, firefighters will continue to reinforce fire lines. Water pumps and sprinkler systems will be used to cool the edges of the fire and mop up. Helicopters will continue to work hotspots and areas that flare up. Some resources are being released from the fire. The temperatures and wind speeds are expected to increase on the fire.
Unseasonably warm weather and extremely dry fuel conditions are driving fire behavior in these previously burned fuels. Two residences directly adjacent to the fire voluntarily chose to leave. No evacuation orders have been issued by the county.
The following resources are assigned to the fire: two 20-person fire crews and several other smaller modules of firefighters, four engines, water tenders, three helicopters, a mix of heavy equipment including a dozer, a feller-buncher, and an excavator, a local type 3 Incident Management Team composed of Flathead National Forest, Glacier National Park, Flathead County, and MT State Department of Natural Resources, for a total of 85 personnel.
SPECIAL MESSSAGE: Stage 1 Fire restrictions will go into effect for all of Northwest Montana on Friday, July 3, 2015.
FOR YOUR SAFETY AND THE FIREFIGHTERS SAFETY DO NOT STOP IF YOU ARE TRAVELING IN THE FIRE AREA. Vehicles driving on the North Fork Road are asked to not stop in the fire area. River floaters on the river are asked to not stop in the fire area. Helicopters are working over head to shuttle fire fighters to the fire as well as performing water drops. The helicopters cannot fly overhead if people are stopped below.
Fire Information: (406) 387-3867
Email: glacierrimfire@gmail.com
Web: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/4336