Single Publication

Quartz Fire Update
Sunday, August 21, 2022, 10:00 am

National Park Service   
Glacier National Park   
Incident Commander: M. Lewelling
Fire Information Recording: 406-206-6099
Fire Information Phone: 406-206-5272 (8 am to 6 pm) 
Fire Information Email: glac_fire_line@nps.gov   

Quartz Fire transitions to Type 3 Incident Management Team

Current Situation: The Quartz Fire remained active yesterday afternoon and throughout the night, with isolated tree torching and movement on the southwestern flank within the remote Quartz drainage. Cloud cover last night made it impossible to accurately map the fire. Management of the Quartz Fire transitions to a Type 3 Incident Management Team under Incident Commander Mike Lewelling today.
 
Firefighters completed structure protection at the Quartz Lake Patrol Cabin yesterday and remain at that location to fine-tune protection efforts and evaluate fire behavior. Crews will also be working to reduce the risk to the wilderness campground and cultural resources in that area. Fire behavior and movement will continue to be evaluated from the air to plan future fire responses.
 
Initial attack resources will patrol both the west and east sides of Glacier National Park looking for any new fires which may have been ignited by last night’s lightning. Glacier National Park and Blackfeet Fire Agency engine crews are working cooperatively to patrol and respond to any new fire activity on the east side.

Weather: Today’s weather is predicted to be partly cloudy with a chance of afternoon thunderstorms. Maximum temperatures will be 88-98 in valleys and 70-80 on ridges. Nighttime lows will be 44-55 in valleys and 55-60 on ridges. Winds are predicted to be from the southwest at 5-10 mph. Chance of lightning is 40 percent today and 50 percent tonight.

Closures: Glacier National Park has enacted a Closure Order for the areas, campgrounds, and trails within the Quartz Lake drainage from the Continental Divide to the Inside North Fork Road for the protection of park visitors, employees, and natural resources. This includes the Quartz Lake Loop trails starting from just south of Bowman Lake toward Quartz Lake, as well as the Quartz Lake and Lower Quartz Lake Wilderness Campgrounds. A map of the closure is available on InciWeb.

Fire Restrictions: The fire danger rating in Glacier National Park is currently Very High. All park visitors are reminded that campfires are allowed only in designated fire grates and should be kept small. Never leave a fire unattended and drown any campfire with water until cold to the touch before leaving it.

Air Quality: National air quality and smoke conditions can be monitored at https://fire.airnow.gov/. Visibility in different parts of Glacier National Park can vary from hour to hour, depending on fire and wind conditions both locally and throughout the west. Check the park’s webcams at https://www.nps.gov/glac/learn/photosmultimedia/webcams.htm for current views.

Size: Approximately 1,255 acres     
Containment: 0% 
Total Personnel: 15 
Cause: Lightning
Start Date: Sunday, August 14, 2022 
InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/8337/ 
Location: 25 miles north of West Glacier
Fire Information Office: 406-206-5272