Wildfire prompts more evacuations in Glacier National Park

Babb resident Greg Fullerton, who co-owns Glacier County Honey Co. with his wife, has been watching the fire from U.S. Highway 89.

A helicopter approaches a wildfire near Townsend, Mont., Tuesday, …

Glacier National Park’s most popular roadway was shut down and homes and lodging areas were evacuated as firefighters continue their efforts to contain fast-moving wildfires that are inching closer to populated areas. The fire has closed a portion of U.S. Highway 12 and led to evacuation order…

The Going-to-the-Sun Road is closed between the St. Mary entrance on the east side and Avalanche on the west side.

The evacuations include the St. Mary Visitor Center and National Park Service administrative area.

Right now is one of the busiest times of the year for the Going-to-the-Sun Road, and Tuesday evening park officials were forced to turn away dozens of visitors. The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag warning for the area from 3 p.m. until 9 p.m. with wind gusts of 30 miles per hour possible.

Park rangers and other staffers are searching for backcountry hikers to evacuate them.

Fire officials say the evacuations are a precautionary measure.

The rest of Glacier National Park, which lies in northwestern Montana along the Canadian border, remains open to the public but officials have said the fire was burning in heavy timber with a high potential to spread.

Officials say lightning passing through the drought-stricken area was likely the cause of the blaze. National Park Service personnel are working in cooperation with Glacier County Sheriff’s Office and Blackfeet Emergency Management.

Officials evacuated the Rising Sun Motor Inn and a nearby campground, and were evacuating a second, larger campground Wednesday morning.

Peak tourist season is underway, and 95 percent of park visitors travel some length of the Going-to-the-Sun Road, which bisects the park hugs the mountainsides to cross the Continental Divide.

The Reynolds Creek fire was reported at approximately 3:45 p.m. on Tuesday and was located near Grizzly Point, approximately six miles east of Logan Pass. Park dispatch received numerous reports of the fire from shuttle bus drivers, Glacier Boat Company employees, park employees and visitors.

An interagency incident command team has been ordered and is expected to arrive on Wednesday afternoon.

The cause of the fire was undetermined. It will be used as a fire staging area.