GLACIER NATIONAL PARK – The Howe Ridge fire continues to hold steady as it burns on the west side of Glacier National Park.
The lightning-sparked blaze has now torched an estimated 12,435 acres and remains 12% contained.
Fire managers report the fire displayed moderate activity on Wednesday but overall fire growth was minimal and only occurred in isolated areas.
The fire is creeping along the southern perimeter and smoldering on the eastern and northeast portions of the fire. There were also some isolated areas of heat and smoke with no detectable growth along the slopes of Mount Vaught on Wednesday.
The blaze is still estimated to be between 150 and 300 feet from the Going-to-the-Sun Road at its closest point.
Structure protection remains in place along North Lake McDonald Road and hoses. Meanwhile, pumps and sprinklers are in place along the Going-to-the-Sun Road and the facilities in the Avalanche Creek area.
A new Type 1 Incident Management Team will take over at the fire scene on Friday morning.
Evacuation orders remain in place for the North McDonald Road, Lake McDonald Lodge area, along the Going-to-the-Sun Road and at the Sprague Creek, Avalanche, and Fish Creek campgrounds.
The Going-to-the-Sun Road remains closed from near Apgar to Logan Pass. North McDonald and Fish Creek Roads are also still closed to traffic as is the Inside North Fork Road between Fish Creek to Logging Creek.
A recorded fire update can be found at (406) 888-7077.
