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Reward Up To $10,000 Offered In Connection With Fires In Glacier National Park

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Published Date

July 28, 2020
A reward of up to $10,000 is being offered for information leading to the arrest of whomever set a series of fires in and near Glacier National Park/NPS

A reward of up to $10,000 is being offered for information leading to the arrest of whomever set a series of fires in and near Glacier National Park/NPS

A reward of up to $10,000 is being offered for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for setting a series of fires in and near Glacier National Park in Montana, including one that destroyed the nearly century-old Ford Creek Cabin used by park rangers on winter patrols.

Glacier officials and the Flathead Crimestoppers are seeking information in connection with eight fires believed to have been set by an arsonist early on July 23. An area resident woke rangers at the Polebridge Ranger Station that morning to report a nearby fire.

Later, the Numa Ridge fire lookout reported smoke near Ford Creek. Rangers and NPS fire crews eventually found a total of eight fire sites along the Inside North Fork Road between Logging Creek and Kintla Lake. Most had begun in dry logs or brush, but one fire destroyed the historic Ford Creek Cabin.

The patrol cabin was a total loss when rangers arrived on scene. It had been built as a “snowshoe cabin” in 1928, and has been used for decades for winter backcountry patrols. The structure was listed in the National Register of Historic Places as having architectural and historic significance, exemplifying the rustic architecture of early park backcountry structures, and the history of Glacier National Park's development and administration.

The Ford Creek Cabin was one of four identical cabins built for Glacier National Park in the late 1920s/NPS

The cabin site is approximately eight miles north of Polebridge on the Inside North Fork Road. 

On the evening of July 22, suspicious fires were also reported at the Glacier Gateway Elementary school and at the Summit Mountain Lodge at Marias Pass, a park release said.  Fire investigators are working together to see if those fires may be related. 

Anyone witnessing suspicious activity on the night of July 22 or early morning of July 23 in the Polebridge or North Fork area is encouraged to call Flathead Crimestoppers at 406-752-TIPS (8477).  All calls remain anonymous. Glacier National Park also has a tip line established, 406-888-7077, if you would like to talk with a park ranger. 

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