The Associated Press
ST. MARY, Mont. — Residents and visitors were allowed to return to this gateway community Wednesday night after authorities said a fire along the eastern edge of Glacier National Park no longer posed an immediate threat.
“We’re confident the town is safe,” said fire information officer Karen Semple.
The fire, which erupted over the weekend and spread quickly, prompted officials to close St. Mary to visitors and ask residents to leave. Some campgrounds also were under evacuation orders.
A major road crossing the park reopened Wednesday after its eastern portion had been closed.
The fire grew to about 41 square miles by Wednesday evening, Semple said, up from 34 square miles Monday. Containment was estimated at 30 percent.
An abandoned trailer on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation was destroyed Tuesday, she said.