Winds Force Wildfire Crews to Pull Back

Fire commanders grounded their air attack and pulled firefighters from the lines as strong winds threatened to send a blaze racing at Montana’s Glacier National Park.

Fire information officer Bob McKinney said wind gusts of 40 mph made fighting the blaze that started Aug. 14 too dangerous for ground crews and pilots. More than 1,000 personnel were battling the fire, which had doubled in size, to more than 50,000 acres.

One firefighter died when he was hit by a falling tree. At least 18 major fires still burning had charred about 150,000 acres in other Western states, according to the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho.