A reality based independent journal of observation & analysis, serving the Flathead Valley & Montana since 2006. © James Conner.
Glacier National Park today asked for the public’s help in determining how the Reynolds Creek Fire started. “Initial evidence suggests that the Reynolds Creek Fire was caused by human actions,” said GNP public relations officer Denise Germann in a press release:
Park visitors that were hiking in the area of Reynolds Creek on the Gunsight Pass Trail or that may have been staying in or hiking through the Reynolds Creek Backcountry Campground, from July 14 to July 21, are encouraged to call 888-653-0009 or email nps_isb@nps.gov.
Reynolds Creek flows into Saint Mary Lake. The Reynolds Creek backcountry campground is approximately 1.4 miles west of Saint Mary Lake and 0.6 miles south of the Going to the Sun Road — and right at the western edge of the fire’s perimeter.
The request for help tells me the investigators probably know where and how the fire started, but have absolutely no idea who was responsible for the ignition. So far, the fire has cost millions of dollars. I doubt the person responsible will step forward, saying “Just a minute while I pull out my checkbook.” And if it’s a case of a campfire thought extinguished in the morning coming to life in late afternoon winds, the person responsible could have been west of Gunsight Pass and might not know he was responsible. I wish the investigators good luck. They’re going to need it, plenty of it.
Has “Grizzly Point” been retired as an NPS place name? That could be. The final paragraph in today’s NPS press release on the fire investigation begins:
The fire was first reported at approximately 3:45 p.m. on Tuesday, July 21, approximately six miles east of Logan Pass.
