Fire crews have spot fires in Glacier Park "dead out"

Fire crews on the Glacier Rim Fire now have several spot fires in Glacier National Park “dead out,” according to the Forest Service.

Firefighting crews had been ferrying across the river by jet boat for the past several days to fight the spot fires. One was nearly a mile away from the initial fire, which started east of the North Fork Road on Saturday. Most of the 85-acre human caused fire has line around it, but a small area on the north edge of the fire within Canyon Creek is still not contained due to steep terrain and heavy timber. Today firefighters are setting up sprinklers along the north edge of fire and cooling the hot spots within the interior of the fire with helicopters.

All told, there are 120 personnel on the fire, which started about 1 p.m. Saturday afternoon. The fire is burning in the old Robert Fire burn of 2003, in downed timber and brush. Falling snags are a big concern as the area is full of dead snags from the Robert Fire.

The Robert Fire was an historic 50,000- plus acre blaze that burned from Canyon Creek to Apgar in Glacier National Park. People are asked not to stop in the fire area along the road and floaters are asked not to stop in the fire area of the river, as it impedes helicopter traffic trying to fight the stubborn blaze.