ST. MARY (AP)
Fire officials expected to begin letting residents and visitors return to this small town on the eastern edge of Glacier National Park as early as today, saying the threat posed by a massive wildfire has waned. “The bottom line is crews have worked very hard with structure protection and securing fire lines and we’re confident the town is safe,” fire information officer Karen Semple said this morning. Officials were expected to make a final decision at noon today on when to reopen the town. The Red Eagle fire, which erupted over the weekend and spread quickly, prompted officials to close St. Mary to visitors and request that residents leave the small town. A number of area park campgrounds also were evacuated. Semple said that as of this morning, the fire remained at about 25,000 acres, or 39 square miles, with very little growth overnight. Most burning was occurring either within the perimeter of the fire or on the fire’s leading eastern edge away from the town. “Our biggest threat of spread is on the eastern flank right now,” Semple said. Higher humidity, cooler temperatures and falling winds contributed to the lack of significant growth of the fire, which is burning on the eastern side of Glacier and on neighboring Blackfeet tribal lands. Limited access, difficult terrain and a shortage of manpower slowed suppression efforts. Nearly 340 people were assigned to help fight the fire Tuesday. Semple said concerns remained that the fire could spread quickly to the east of temperatures and winds increase and humidity drops. So far, no structures have been lost, and there have been no reports of injuries. About 57 percent of the land that has burned 14,500 acres was Blackfeet tribal trust lands. Officials were looking into whether the fire had affected any historical or spiritual sites. About 42 percent, or 10,500 acres, was burning in Glacier; less than 1 percent, about 50 acres, was on private land on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. The majority of the park remained open to visitors. Going-to-the-Sun Road in the park is open from the west entrance to Rising Sun, where visitors were being asked to turn around. Semple said that area likely also could reopen as early as today. South of Livingston, the Big Creek fire, which destroyed three houses and at least three other buildings Sunday, was estimated at about 12,000 acres on Tuesday and was 20 percent contained. “It was a good day today,” information officer Erin Fryer said. “Humidity levels were up, and fire activity was down.”
