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.