More Wildfires In The U.S.: Montana's Glacier National Park Fire Now To 4,000 Acres And Spreading Fast

Glacier National Park wildfire is fast approaching scenic Going-to-the-Sun Road

• Howe Fire has grown to 4,000 acres and is spreading throughout the park
• Firefighters installing hoses and sprinklers to prevent fire from reaching road
• Officials fear rocks and trees could fall along road for years from destabilization
• Numerous cabins, homes and a historic lodge have been evacuated 

A wildfire in Montana's Glacier National Park is forcing more evacuations and has burned within a half-mile of the scenic Going-to-the-Sun Road.

Part of the 50-mile, two-lane road that spans the width of the park and crosses the Continental Divide is closed and official are desperate to save it form the fire.

Firefighters are installing hoses and sprinklers to prevent the 4,000-acre Howe Fire from spreading on to the road but were dealing with high winds.

'If we have fire along there, what we'd be dealing with is trees and rocks falling along that road for years to come because of the destabilization,' operations chief Rocky Gilbert told the Missoulian.

Officials evacuated the Fish Creek Campground and told residents in the small town of Apgar on Lake McDonald they might have to leave.

Other campgrounds, the historic Lake McDonald Lodge and private cabins along Going-to-the-Sun Road are already under evacuation orders.

Brothers Craig and Sean Simpson, and their father, Henry, were evacuated from their campground on Sunday.

'It's kind of scary, being woken up and told you have to evacuate,' Craig Simpson said.

Sean Simpson commended Glacier staff for their handling of the situation. 'They got us out with plenty of time to be safe, and we felt taken care of,' he said.

The Simpsons arrived from New England on Saturday and though they had to relocate to Apgar Campground and cancel their plans to hike in the North Fork, they still planned to stay for five nights.

Businesspeople who serve tourists in the park said the fire had already hurt them.

'The smoke is what's affecting us,' Glacier Outfitters co-owner Shelby Handlin Hampton told the Missoulian.

She said the fire deterred Glacier visitors from the outdoor activities that her shop supports.

Many hikers and holidaymakers were forced to flee the park for their lives as the fire suddenly closed in around them.

Justin Bilton and his 70-year-old father Charlie were backpacking through Wyoming and Montana and had to drive through the fire to escape.

In a video of their terrifying escape, Charlie is heard speaking to his son in a steady voice, trying to calm the young man's nerves.

'I think we can drive through this,' Charlie says. 'Dad, what if the car blows up?' Justin replied.

'Then we're dead. Just keep driving. Not too too fast, we'll be okay,' Charlie replies.