Waterton Lakes National Park under evacuation notice as new fire burning in Glacier

Waterton Lakes National Park has been put under an evacuation notice after a new fire blew up Thursday near the boundary with Canada not far from Goat Haunt. The fire is located in the Boundary Creek Valley, near the Campbell Mountain area west of Waterton Lake.

Parks Canada attacked the fire from the air Thursday, but was unsuccessful in stemming its growth.

The fire is about 1,200 acres, Glacier Park officials said in a release.

Rangers cleared hikers from the area and evacuated the Waterton River Backcountry Campground. The Waterton Lake Trail, the North Boundary Trail, and the Waterton River Backcountry Campground have been closed. Parks Canada also evacuated all its backcountry campgrounds as a precaution. Additional closures are expected today.

The fire is about one mile west of Waterton Lake.

Last night it was reported to be fast-growing, with flame lengths up to 100 feet. The park is implementing structure protection measures in the Goat Haunt area.

The fire was first reported about 6:15 p.m. Thursday night, Aug. 23.

Today could prove a challenging day for firefighters, as thunderstorms and high winds are in the forecast, with just a 20 percent chance of wetting rain.

The Howe Ridge Fire in Glacier grew yesterday as well and is now 10,802 acres. That may seem down, but fire managers said the previous acreage of 11,000-plus acres was due to all the fires being added up together.

The Howe Ridge Fire on the east end has not reached McDonald Creek, but is moving in that direction. It’s also about a half-mile from the Inside North Fork Road. To date, Howe Ridge has cost $2.9 million.

The Paola Ridge Fire continues to burn near Essex and is now listed at 598 acres. It continues to move toward the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad line, where crews have cut a fire break.

This story has been updated to reflect the Waterton evacuation notice.