Anatomy of Glacier's Sprague Fire shows close calls

Anatomy of Glacier's Sprague Fire shows close calls



A bright orange "pumpkin," usually filled with water for firefighting, lies empty after the
Sperry Chalet was engulfed in flames Aug. 31.

From its inception, the Sprague fire proved to be a problem child.

On Aug. 11, a day after it was sparked by a thunderstorm, helicopters dropped buckets of water on what was a 10-acre fire, and a crew rappelled from a helicopter to clear an area where it could later land and bring in more firefighters.

Glacier National Park was in full wildfire suppression mode, and had been since mid-July. Park fire crews managed to keep 18 wildfires at three acres or less.

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Hot and Dry

The Sprague fire started in an area that hadn’t burned since the 1700s. Only one-third of an inch of rain had fallen in Glacier in July and August, a fraction of the typical 3 inches. Temperatures were in the high 80s, in an area where they’re more inclined to hover 10 degrees lower.


https://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/anatomy-of-glacier-s-sprague-fire-shows-close-calls/article_c29e0de3-54f2-5da5-81e3-70c8ad080d5c.html