Glacier National Park wildfire forces tourists to leave cars

Smoke rises from a wildfire near Townsend, Mont., Tuesday, July 21, 2015. The fire has closed a portion of U.S. Highway 12 and led to evacuation orders in the rural area. (Thom Bridge/The Independent Record via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT Smoke rises from a wildfire near Townsend, Mont., Tuesday, July 21, 2015. The fire has closed a portion of U.S. Highway 12 and led to evacuation orders in the rural area. (Thom Bridge/The Independent Record via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT

By Associated Press July 22, 2015 2 min read

HELENA, Mont. (AP) – A fast-moving wildfire in Glacier National Park torched a car and forced tourists to abandon their rides on the Montana park’s most popular roadway, while officials evacuated a hotel and campgrounds during prime tourist season.

Visitors left their vehicles along the Going-to-the-Sun Road and were shuttled out by officials Tuesday, park spokeswoman Denise Germann said. The two-lane road that carries thousands of vehicles daily during peak days in July and August was shut down for 21 of its 50 miles.

Park officials were helping tourists retrieve their cars Wednesday, while rangers searched the backcountry for any remaining hikers after the blaze doubled in size overnight to more than 3 square miles.

Wind gusts and low humidity were expected to move through drought-parched northwestern Montana, increasing the risk of the fire spreading even more quickly, and park officials were preparing for more evacuations.

“These conditions may create explosive fire growth potential,” Germann said in a statement.