Sperry Chalet investigation, report, in the works
The Sperry Chalet burns on Aug. 31. (Photo courtesy of Dave Baltz)
A final report on the Sperry Chalet Fire could be months in the making, a spokeswoman for Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke said last week.
“The Facilitated Learning Analysis team came to the park several weeks ago, and is now working on finalizing the review report. We understand that they can take several months or more from start to finish depending on the scope,” Heather Swift said in an email to the Hungry Horse News last week.
The team is a group of fire experts that gather together to analyze a fire incident and how fire managers can learn from it in the future.
The Forest Service often uses the analysis to examine fires or incidents where something went wrong. Rather than assessing blame, the analysis generally look to offer solutions to problems that might arise in the future.
Once the report it complete, it will be made public, noted Glacier National Park spokeswoman Lauren Alley.
The chalet’s main dormitory was gutted by fire on Aug. 31. A group of six firefighters tried to save it, but were unable to stop the blaze.
Since then, the masonry shell of the chalet has been stabilized with a myriad of large beams, with the hope that it can survive the winter.
The idea is to rebuild the chalet eventually. Zinke and Montana’s congressional delegation all support such a measure.