News Release

Howe Ridge and Boundary Fires Update Saturday, September 22, 2018; 8:30 am

Date: September 22, 2018
Contact: Fire Information, 406-578-8256

West Glacier, MT. - Weather: Today will be mostly cloudy with a chance of rain showers in the afternoon. Temperatures will be in the 50’s, but in the afternoon, a cold front will be drop down from Canada. This will bring in southwest winds of 7-12 mph, gusting up to 25 mph.

Howe Ridge: Today, crews will continue hauling out suppression equipment as appropriate, as well as removing brush and debris piles at the Wheeler Cabin and Lake McDonald Ranger Station area. Crews will continue to assess North Lake McDonald Road for hazard trees to ensure future safe access for residents and visitors. As traffic increases, so does danger to firefighters working along roads. Please stay aware and keep eyes on the road.

Boundary: Today, crews will be on foot patrol, mainly monitoring fire behavior on the eastern flank. In Glacier National Park, Waterton Lake trail is open for public use; the Boundary Trail remains closed. In Waterton Lakes National Park, the Lakeshore Trail from Bertha Bay to Boundary Bay is open, as is the Boundary Bay Backcountry Campground.

GENERAL FIRE INFORMATION
The majority of Glacier National Park is open. The Howe Ridge fire is burning in less than 1% of Glacier’s 1 million acres. The temporary closure area for public safety and fire suppression access is less than 5% of the park.

The Going-to-the-Sun Road is open to private vehicle travel and visitors can drive the entire length of the road. Drivers will not be able to stop along the road between Lake McDonald Lodge and the Avalanche Creek developed area. Avalanche is open for day use recreation, including day use areas, restrooms, the Trail of the Cedars, and the Avalanche Lake Trail. Flattop Trail and The Loop Trail are also open.

Closures: The North Lake McDonald road is closed as well as the Inside North Fork Road from Fish Creek to Logging Creek due to the Howe Ridge Fire. Trail closures are associated with the Howe Ridge and Boundary fires; full trail closures are reflected on the park’s website at: https:///www.nps.gov/applications/glac/infobull/closures.cfm.

Aircraft Assigned:
A Type 1 and a Type 3 helicopter are currently assigned to the incident. A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place over the Howe Ridge Fire. Drones can shut down critical fire operations, and launching, landing or operating drones is prohibited in Glacier National Park.