Howe Ridge Fire in Glacier grows to inferno; Sun Road closed on west side; Lake McDonald Lodge, campgrounds, evacuated

In the course of a few hours Sunday evening the Howe Ridge Fire went from a curiosity that wowed visitors at the Lake McDonald Lodge in Glacier National Park, to a full blown inferno that threatened a host of private properties — some of which predate the existence of the park itself.

The park initially closed the Going-to-the-Sun Road from the lodge to Logan Pass and evacuated the Avalanche campground and the lodge itself.

But as about 10:30 p.m., the Sun Road was closed from the foot of the lake west to the pass and Sprague campground was evacuated and closed as the inferno kept getting bigger and more dangerous.

CL-215s aircraft, also known as “super scoopers” were dropping water on the fire as well as spot fires as it burned near the flanks of Mount Stanton most of the afternoon, but they had little effect.

From about 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. the fire went on a tremendous tear, starting spot fires on the north end of Lake McDonald as well as shooting up the iconic Mount Stanton at the head of the lake.

An estimated size was not available.

The fire appeared to burn in and around Kelly Camp, which is a neighborhood of privately-owned cabins along the lakeshore.

Structure protection fire engines could be seen racing up the Sun Road, but there was no initial word on whether any structures were lost, though the fire appeared to be burning intensely not just at Kelly Camp, but at the north and east end of the lake, where some iconic and historic structures sit, including the Wheeler Cabin and the Geduhn Cabin, the former home of Frank Geduhn, one of the Park’s first settlers before it was a national park in the 1890s.

The park also has a ranger station at the north end of the lake.

It wasn’t clear if the fire had crossed over to the south side of the Sun Road, where it could threaten Avalanche Creek and its groves of ancient red cedars.

This would not be the first time the cedars were threatened. Last year the Sprague Fire, which started on Aug. 10 also threatened the trees.

The Howe Ridge Fire started Aug. 11, the result of a lightning storm. It’s burning in an area that previously burned 15 years ago — the Robert Fire of 2003 also burned Howe Ridge on almost the exact same date — Aug. 10.

The fire is also burning back toward Apgar, burning “doghair” lodgepole pine that grew back en masse after the Robert Fire.