Fire update: Lake McDonald Lodge in Glacier is closing for the season due to smoke

[Ptah]

GLACIER NATIONAL PARK — The Lake McDonald Lodge in Glacier National Park will close Wednesday for the rest of the season because of concerns about air quality, Xanterra Parks and Resorts announced Tuesday night.

Although it's burning about 2 miles from the lodge area, "the Sprague fire is not currently and has not been a threat to the Lake McDonald developed area," Xanterra's announcement said. "However, heavy smoke from the fire has been settling in a highly localized area around the Lake McDonald Lodge."

The lodge had been expected to close on Sept. 27. But, said the 8:30 p.m. news release from Xanterra, "because employees work and live onsite, they have a longer duration exposure to the air conditions."

An air quality monitor installed at the lodge on Sunday at the request of the National Park Service showed air quality levels fluctuating between Good and "beyond the uppermost limit of 'hazardous,'" according to the release. At the park's air monitoring station at Apgar, readings fluctuated between Good and Moderate for the same period, "further supporting the observation that poor air quality appears to be concentrated in a very small geographic area of the park near the Lake McDonald Lodge area," Xanterra said.

http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/fire-update-lake-mcdonald-lodge-in-glacier-is-closing-for/article_686676eb-0da3-572b-adcc-5d6d65beb1aa.html

[MontanaMama]

1. I've lived in Montana

for 40 years and I have never experienced a smokier summer. Seems like everything is on fire.

[milestogo]

2. Historic Sperry Chalet Burns in Glacier Park Fire

It took more than a year to build. It took less than an hour to destroy. The 104-year-old Sperry Chalet was lost on Aug. 31 after a wildfire in Glacier National Park doubled in size in just a matter of hours. Five firefighters and four helicopters made what National Park Service officials called a “valiant” effort to save the National Historic Landmark, but in the end those efforts fell short.

According to park officials, the main two-story dormitory has been destroyed, while a number of outbuildings were saved, including the stone kitchen and dining room. The chalet fell victim to the lightning-caused Sprague Fire that has been tormenting the Lake McDonald Valley since the middle of August. Soon after the fire was discovered, the Sperry Chalet was evacuated and closed for the season. A sprinkler and pump system was set up around the chalet, and for weeks officials said the Sprague Fire didn’t pose an immediate threat to the building.

A portion of the chalet was wrapped with fire-resistant material. Other nearby structures, like the Mount Brown Lookout, were completely wrapped in protective material. Diane Mann-Klager, public information officer for the incident management team at the helm of the fire, said fire managers believed that wrapping the entire stone chalet would have been challenging. “They felt that the sprinklers were enough,” Mann-Klager said.

At approximately 6:10 p.m. on Thursday, the on-scene firefighters who had been battling the “ember shower” from the approaching fire suddenly noticed puffs of smoke under an eave, fire managers say. The firefighters sprayed the area with water because they thought it was an ember on the roof. Almost instantaneously, the window broke out and flames were licking at the eaves. In a short amount of time, the chalet was engulfed. On Friday, Glacier Park Superintendent Jeff Mow thanked the firefighters for their “tireless” efforts to save the structure. He noted that the Sperry Chalet was widely loved by park employees and visitors from around the world.

Kevin Warrington, Sperry Chalet manager for concessioner Belton Chalets, Inc., said the loss of the chalet was a tragic day in Glacier Park’s history. “I have been around Sperry for my entire life and I have never expected to see anything like this,” he said. “It has been a privilege to share Sperry with the great many people that love it.”

http://flatheadbeacon.com/2017/09/01/century-old-chalet-falls-victim-glacier-park-wildfire/