An integral part of the management of the park’s fire crew, the fire cache was built in 1933 and houses tools along with a map room and radio room for dispatch complete with a telephone switchboard. Previously, the building served as the Fire Management Office for over sixty years. The building is constructed of wood with concrete floors and has been void of any major structural changes since it was built.

During the months of May and June 1933, eight so-called "CCC" camps were established in the park, each consisting of from fifty to two hundred and fifty men. The boys, mostly teen-age, were under the supervision of Army officers in camp and under civilian foremen and supervisors on the job. One of the CCC's biggest values to the park, as well as to other forested areas, was in fire-suppression work. Hundreds of thousands of hours were spent by these crews in suppressing forest fires, at times when civilian crews were not available in sufficient numbers or in time to do any good. After the entrance of the United States into World War II all CCC projects were halted and the last camp, NP-9, was evacuated on July 17, 1942, ending the CCC program in the park. Robinson,

1936 Heavens Peak Fire. This fire burned approximately 7,500 acres and, from the standpoint of the park visitor, was the most devastating fire in the park, as it completely denuded one of the most beautiful valleys in the park and partially stripped another, both of which were on main traveled routes or visitor concentration areas. Robinson,

The summer of 2003 was the most significant fire season in the history of Glacier National Park. After a normal winter snowpack, precipitation was below average from April through June (66% of normal), but more importantly, July, August, and early September brought almost no precipitation. This came on the heels of the 5th year of drought in northwest Montana. Approximately 136,000 acres burned within the park boundary, which was more than during the previous benchmark fire-year of 1910.

Credits and Sources:

Historic District Walking Tour Script,” National Park Service, http://www.nps.gov/glac/learn/historyculture/upload/Final-History-Tour-Script-5_6_2011.pdf, Accessed on June 20, 2015.

Donald H. Robinson, Through the Years in Glacier National Park: an Administrative History,Glacier Natural History Association, Inc. In cooperation with the National Park Service, May 1960.

“Glacier: Fire Regime,” National Park Service, http://www.nps.gov/glac/learn/nature/fireregime.htm Accessed on june 20, 2015.