Wildfire reported in Thompson Creek area of Glacier National Park
<p>Smoke from wildfire in Glacier National Park pours into the sky as seen from near the Moccasin Creek River Access site on U.S. 2 East on Sunday afternoon.</p>
A wildfire reported in the Thompson Creek drainage area in Glacier National Park had grown to an estimated 200 acres by 8 p.m. Sunday.
The fire is located about a mile southeast of Mount Thompson and about eight miles north up Nyack Creek from U.S. 2. A Type 3 team was ordered for the fire.
Ema Braunberger, public affairs officer for the Flathead National Forest, said a helicopter was on the scene and other heavy helicopters were en route.
“There are more air attack orders and more helicopters are committed,” she said. “That’s about all I know right now.”
A Skycrane twin-engine heavy helicopter arrived on scene late in the afternoon.
Thompson Creek is a tributary to Nyack Creek, located about 10 miles east of Lake McDonald.
The cause of the fire was not known. No further information was available at press time.
Acreage on the Reynolds Creek Fire on the east side of Glacier National Park now tops 4,300 acres, and the fire remains 67 percent contained. The fire was controlled enough to allow Going-to-the-Sun Road to be reopened last week, but 235 personnel are still fighting the fire.
Crews continue mop-up operations and are working on structure protection in the Rising Sun developed area.
Cloud coverage and high winds could be a mixed-bag for firefighters dealing with the ramifications of that weather.
Reporter Ryan Murray can be reached at 758-4436 or rmurray@dailyinterlake.com.