Fire Ecology

For many decades, forest fires were viewed as a threat to the ecosystem of parks such as Glacier.

Plan Around Fire Ecology

A good stop is not just something to read about. Once it belongs on the day, move into a saved trip and build the route around it.

Add to trip View park guide

Use this detail page to confirm that the stop is worth it, then carry that decision into a trip draft while the park context is still fresh.

Fire Ecology Details

Forest fires were long viewed as a threat to the ecosystem of parks such as Glacier. But as a better understanding of fire ecology developed after the 1960s, forest fires came to be viewed as a natural part of the ecosystem. Policies of suppression resulted in the accumulation of dead and decaying trees and plants, which act as perfect tinder in a forest fire. Many species of plants and animals need wildfires to help replenish nutrients in the the soil, and to open up grassy areas that allow small plants to grow. The Glacier National Park fire-management plan ensures that human-caused fires are generally suppressed as they always have been and, if a natural fire occurs, it's monitored and eventually suppressed relative to its size and threat it poses to human safety and structures. Glacier has an average of 14 fires each year, burning a total of around 5,000 acres.

Difficulty

Distance

N/A

Estimated time

Region

Learn About the Park