KALISPELL, Mont. (AP) — The number of visitors to Glacier National Park in Montana has risen after a busy August that followed seven months of decreased visitation.

The Flathead Beacon reports the park had 771,874 visitors in August, an increase of more than 15% from the same month last year when 667,688 people visited.

Officials say a likely reason for the August increase is the absence of a major wildfire for the first time in three years.

Records released this week indicate more than 2.45 million people have visited the park in 2019.

The figure is a nearly 2% increase over the number of visitors during the same period in 2018.

The park’s year-to-date visitation figures were down more than 3% a month ago, with 1.6 million people visiting between January and July.

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Information from: Flathead Beacon, http://www.flatheadbeacon.com

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