Heavy plumes of smoke towered above the east side of Glacier National Park on Friday afternoon as a patch of fuel burned within the Reynolds Creek Fire.

"It's mostly burning in the interior, up in the Rose Creek area," said Nan Stinson, a fire information officer.

A spot in the northeastern corner fueled the increased burn. Stinson said that it was a pocket of vegetation up against some rocks.

Smoke rose into the sky and a portion of the plume could be seen from the Flathead Valley.

"It's all natural, wind-driven, so it's kicking up a lot of smoke," said Sandy Nelson, another fire information officer.

After a short period of rainfall last week, low humidity and high temperatures are returning to the area, which adds to the probability of increased burning.

A firefighting force of more than 600 people is holding the outer areas of the fire at bay. The added burning is inside the 3,100-acre fire area.

"The perimeter is what they're considering pretty secure," Stinson said.

Friday's resurgence of flames and smoke came on a day when a red flag fire warning was in effect for breezy and hot conditions.

On Thursday, firefighters initiated a burnout operation to reinforce a cliff-face perimeter area behind Rising Sun Campground. The campground and the adjoining hotel of the same name were evacuated when the fire broke out July 21 and began its explosive march along Going-to-the-Sun Road north of St. Mary Lake.

Officials said the line is holding steady around the campground, despite spot fires that popped up Thursday more than a half-mile from the main fire but were quickly suppressed.

On Friday, ground crews worked near the increased burn area as seven helicopters continued to patrol and drop water.

The air support helps ground crews in hard-to-access places.

Going-to-the-Sun Road remains closed from Logan Pass to the St. Mary Campground, but it's open on the west side. Firefighters have 63 percent of the perimeter contained.

The majority of Glacier National Park is unaffected by this wildfire.

* Meanwhile, another fire was sparked north of Olney Thursday afternoon near the railroad tracks that line the east side of Upper Stillwater Lake.

Terry Groesbeck, who works with the Stillwater Unit of the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, said flames grew in multiple spots. Fire didn't jump the Old Fort Steele Trail, however.

"It's pretty much between the railroad tracks and the road," Groesbeck said.

The fire burned 2.5 acres but was quickly brought under control by firefighters, according to Groesbeck.

The state agency sent fire engines to the scene, and the Olney Fire Department and U.S. Forest Service assisted. A BNSF Railway track inspector also was on hand.

On Friday, 22 firefighters and two helicopters worked on the fire.

The fire remained an active incident on Friday afternoon, but Groesbeck said crews made good progress.

"There's not even visible smoke any more," she said.

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Delays mount on west side of park

Hagadone News Network

With delays mounting for travelers on the west side of Glacier National Park, park officials urge visitors to consider going elsewhere in Glacier.

Traffic delays of two to three hours are common since Going-to-the-Sun Road is open only to Logan Pass from the west side of the park. In addition, parking is limited at the pass.

The east side section from Logan Pass to St. Mary is closed due to firefighting efforts on the Reynolds Creek Fire burning across more than 3,000 acres on the north side of St. Mary Lake.

To reach Logan Pass, visitors are encouraged to use alternative transportation options such as the park's free shuttle system or concession-operated interpretive tours (conducted by park concessioners Glacier National Park Lodges and Sun Tours).

Only a small portion of the park's 700-plus miles of trails are closed in the fire area and there are plenty of recreational opportunities in the North Fork, Many Glacier, Two Medicine and Apgar areas of the park.

All campgrounds except Rising Sun (in the middle of the fire area) are open in Glacier. The St. Mary Campground and St. Mary Visitor Center, as well as trails in the Red Eagle Lake area, are open and services outside the park at St. Mary are in full operation.

Park rangers are stationed along Going-to-the-Sun Road managing traffic to Logan Pass.

"We strive to provide a quality visitor experience at Glacier National Park, so we need to communicate the delays that may be encountered in accessing Logan Pass," Glacier Superintendent Jeff Mow said in a news release.

Mow said record visitation and the east-side closure have led to delays and road congestion.

To learn more about visitor opportunities in Glacier, visit www.nps.gov/glac/index.htm or stop by a park visitor center or ranger station.