Reynolds Creek: The fire in photos

<p>Fire fighters from the Swan River and Stillwater fire departments speak with KOA owner Will Brooke, center, about how they plan to defend the property on Wednesday, July 22, in East Glacier. "Anxious is an understatement," said Brooke. "When they evacuated the campground we were 100 percent occupied. My income went from the top of the season to zero in about 15 minutes." (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)</p>

<p><strong>Terry Chase</strong> makes huckleberry pies on Wednesday at Brownies in East Glacier. The business normally make 10-14 pies per day, but according to Chase, Wednesday morning was much busier than normal. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)</p>

<p><strong>DEBRA ARNOLD</strong> of Kalispell was one of the many visitors to Glacier Park on Tuesday who were shocked to witness the explosive Reynolds Creek Wildland Fire. She said it was “the weirdest, creepiest thing.” (Courtesy Debra Arnold)</p>

<p>About 30 workers at Glacier National Park have set up tents at Glacier Lodges in Coram because of the Reynolds Creek Fire. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)</p>

<p>Debra Arnold of Kalispell got an up close and personal look at the Reynolds Creek Wildland Fire while visiting St. Mary Falls in Glacier National Park on Tuesday, July 21. The fire quickly grew to over 1,000 acres that evening, and is now listed at more than 2,000 acres.</p>

<p class="p1">This photo was taken by Justin Barth, director of education for the Glacier Institute from just below the summit of Heavy Runner at around 4:30 pm yesterday. That is approximately 45 minutes after the Reynolds Creek Wildland Fire is reported to have started. Barth said, "The winds on the summit ridge were so strong that rocks were blowing off the mountain and tree branches were snapping." Those windy conditions caused the fire to grow quickly to 2,000 acres overnight. (Justin Barth photo)</p>

<p class="p1">Dan Hafferman took this photo from the Going-to-the-Sun Road at about 3:50 p.m. Tuesday in Glacier National Park of the start of the Reynolds Creek Wildland Fire. According to Hafferman, the fire "appeared to be close to the bottom the valley and might have been adjacent to the Jackson Glacier pullout. It appeared to be about an acre at that time." By Wednesday morning, the fire had grown to at least 2,000 acres. </p>

<p>The Reynolds Creek Wildland Fire burns near the Reynolds Creek campground in Glacier National Park Tuesday evening. By Wednesday at 9 a.m. the fire was reported to have covered 2,000 acres. (Chris Peterson/Hungry Horse News)</p>

<p class="p1">Smoke from the Reynolds Creek Wildland Fire fire boils over Gunsight Peak in Glacier National Park Tuesday evening. The fire was reported mid-afternoon and grew to a reported 300 acres by 6 p.m.</p>

<p><strong>Firefighters work</strong> on hot spots on the 3,170-acre Reynolds Creek Fire in Glacier National Park. (Photo courtesy of Reynolds Creek Fire)</p>

<p><strong>Smoke plumes</strong> rise Sunday from the Reynolds Creek Fire burning above St. Mary Lake in Glacier National Park. </p>

<p>A Glacier National Park Red Bus is pulled off the side of U.S. 89 near St. Mary to give the sightseers a view of the Reynolds Creek Fire on Friday, July 24, 2015. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)</p>

<p>Leo Martinez tends to the blisters on his feet after fighting the Reynolds Creek Fire on Friday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)</p>

<p>Gus Conrad of Grayback Forestry of Missoula grabs dinner after fighting the Reynolds Creek Fire on Friday. Firefighters are fed 6,000 calories of food each day at the camp. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)</p>

<p>A Glacier National Park Red Bus is pulled off the side of U.S. 89 near St. Mary to give the sightseers a view of the Reynolds Creek Fire on Friday, July 24, 2015. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)</p>

<p><strong>Incident commander</strong> Greg Poncin points to the map as explains the strategy to fight the Reynolds Creek fire during a fire information meeting for the public at St. Mary Lodge in July.</p>

<p><strong>Glacier National Park</strong> Superintendent Jeff Mow speaks to the crowd during a public information meeting in St. Mary on Friday. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake)</p>

<p><strong>This photo was</strong> taken by Nicholas Bradford on Thursday night, July 23, from the St. Mary area of the Reynolds Creek Fire in Glacier National Park. Bradford was one of many locals and tourists who were getting a first-hand look at the fire.</p>

<p>This photo by Nathan Wilkinson was taken Thursday afternoon near St. Mary and shows the smoke plume from the Reynolds Creek Fire.</p>

<p><strong>Park Rangers</strong> put up Do Not Enter signs on teh Sun Road at St. Mary.</p>

<p>Smoke billows over the Lodge at St Mary from the Reynolds Creek Fire.</p>

<p>A pair of heavy helicopters drop down to St. Mary Lake to retrieve water to fight the Reynolds Creek Fire Wednesday.</p>

<p><strong>The Reynolds Creek</strong> Wildland Fire, seen here on Wednesday afternoon, grew to 5,000 acres on Thursday. (Chris Peterson/Hungry Horse News)</p>

<p>Roger Anderson of Princeton, Massachusetts, takes photos of the smoke plume billowing over East Glacier on Wednesday afternoon, July 22, from St. Mary. The Reynolds Creek Fire has grown from 2,000 to 4,000 acres causing the closure of nearly half of Going-to-the-Sun Road and creating a smoke plume that has spread beyond the borders of the park into Canada. Going-to-the-Sun Road is the only road goes up and through Glacier National Park. It crosses the continental divide at Logan Pass and is currently closed from Big Bend, which is before visitors reach Logan Pass, all the way to St. …

<p>Joel Anderson of Flathead Helitack making notes after the crew takes off for a flight over the Reynolds Creek Fire on Wednesday, July 22, in East Glacier. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)</p>

<p>A crew from Flathead Helitack prepares to land in East Glacier on Wednesday, July 22. Smoke from the Reynolds Creek Fire which has grown to 4,000 acres, was beginning to come through the mountains into the St. Mary area. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)</p>

<p>Smoke from the Reynolds Creek Wildland Fire as seen from U.S. 89 south of St. Mary on Wednesday, July 22.</p>

<p>Jeff Hueser, pilot, and Bert Smith, helicopter manager of the Flathead Helitack crew out of Hungry Horse, prepare to fly over the Reynolds Creek Fire on Wednesday, July 22, in East Glacier. The crew was flying missions to drop water where needed and be on the look out for park visitors who need to be evacuated to safety. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)</p>

<p>A road closure sign just past the St. Mary Visitor Center shutting down the road to any incoming visitors. The Reynolds Creek Fire started on Tuesday, July 21, and quickly grew to over 2,000 acres. The fire, which is currently in heavily wooded areas, has a dangerous potential as it is being met with strong winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)</p>

<p>Park Rangers watch as a smoke obscures the mountains near the St. Mary Visitor Center on Wednesday, July 22, in East Glacier. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)</p>

<p><strong>A view of the</strong> Reynolds Creek Fire from U.S. 89, near East Glacier on Wednesday. The burned area in the foreground is from an earlier fire. (Brenda Ahearn photos/Daily Inter Lake)</p>

<p>St. Mary visitors were part of a mandatory evacuation on Wednesday, July 22. The Reynolds Creek Fire has consumed a vehicle parked along Going-to-the-Sun Road and continues to burn rapidly. The fire has “extreme spread potential,” according to officials. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)</p>

<p><strong>The Flathead Helitack</strong> helicopter flies in to assist with the Reynolds Creek Fire on Wednesday. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)</p>

<p>A large plume of smoke fills the skies over East Glacier on Wednesday, July 22. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)</p>

<p><strong>Smoke from</strong> the Reynolds Creek Fire boils above St. Mary Lake in Glacier National Park on July 21. State Rep. Jenny Eck, who was hosting a delegation from Australia on a tour of the park, took this photo of the fast-moving wildfire. The flames torched a car and a historic cabin and forced visitors to abandon their vehicles on the park’s most popular roadway while officials evacuated hotels, campgrounds, homes and trails. (Jenny Eck via AP)</p>

<p>In this photo provided by Erin Conwell taken Tuesday, July 21, 2015, smoke from the Reynolds Creek wildfire rises above St. Mary Lake in Glacier National Park. The fire burning in the drought-parched northwestern Montana park doubled in size Wednesday, leading officials to evacuate homes along St. Mary Lake and visitors to flee hotels and campgrounds in the nearby community at Glacier’s eastern entrance. (Erin Conwell via AP)</p>

<p>In this photo taken Tuesday, July 21, 2015, smoke from the Reynolds Creek Fire rises above the landscape at St. Mary Lake in Glacier National Park. State Rep. Jenny Eck, who was hosting a delegation from Australia on a tour of the park, took this photo of the fast-moving wildfire. The flames torched a car and a historic cabin and forced tourists to abandon their vehicles on the park's most popular roadway while officials evacuated hotels, campgrounds and homes. (Jenny Eck via AP)</p>

<p>In this photo provided by Erin Conwell taken Tuesday, July 21, 2015, fire and smoke from the the Reynolds Creek wildfire rise above St. Mary Lake in Glacier National Park. The fire burning in the drought-parched northwestern Montana park doubled in size Wednesday, leading officials to evacuate homes along St. Mary Lake and visitors to flee hotels and campgrounds in the nearby community at Glacier’s eastern entrance. (Erin Conwell via AP)</p>

<p><strong>Hikers start</strong> out on the Hidden Lake Trail on Wednesday morning in Glacier National Park. Logan Pass was reopened from the west side to visitors after a weeklong closure due to the Reynolds Creek Fire. Going-to-the-Sun Road remains closed from Logan Pass east to St. Mary. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)</p>

<p><strong>Vehicles fill</strong> the Logan Pass parking lot  on July 29, 2015, in Glacier National Park. (Brenda Ahearn file photo/Daily Inter Lake)</p>

<p>A view of the smoke from the Reynolds Creek Fire as seen from Logan Pass on Wednesday morning, July 29, in Glacier National Park. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)</p>

<p>A long line of traffic quickly forms at 9 a.m. as visitors make their way up into Glacier National Park. Going-to-the-Sun Road, the only road through the park and over the continental divide was closed last week from before Logan Pass down to St. Mary on the east side. The road was reopened Tuesday night at 9 p.m. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)</p>

<p>Fire Information Official Sandy Nelson explains explains where the fire is, how much of the park is affected and gives other information to visitors to Logan Pass on Wednesday, July 29, in Glacier National Park. Going-to-the-Sun Road was reopened to visitors at 9 p.m. on Tuesday night up to Logan Pass. The road remains closed from the pass down to St. Mary. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)</p>

<p>A park official keeps count of the number of cars going up to Logan Pass as vehicle numbers are closely monitored on Wednesday, July 29, in Glacier National Park. (Brenda Ahearn/Daily Inter Lake)</p>

<p><strong>Goat Mountain</strong> as seen through the torched trees of the Reynolds Creek Fire in Glacier National Park on Thursday, July 30. The photo was taken through the window of a media tour bus. The Sun Road re-opened to traffic on the east side of Logan Pass on Friday, August 8. (Chris Peterson/Hungry Horse News)</p>

<p><strong>A hotshot crew</strong> comes off the line Thursday after working on the Reynolds Creek Fire behind the Rising Sun Motor Inn. A controlled burn was later conducted behind the inn to keep the fire from threatening it. (Chris Peterson/Hungry Horse News).</p>

<p><strong>A patch of</strong> trees torches Thursday near Dead Horse Point on the Reynolds Creek Fire in Glacier National Park. (Chris Peterson/Hungry Horse News).</p>