Crews battle rapidly spreading wildfire near Denali National Park entrance

A wildfire near the entrance to Denali National Park and Preserve was spreading quickly Sunday, covering at least 300 acres by midafternoon, firefighters said.

The Riley Fire started in an area of ​​black spruce near the Alaska Railroad west of the Nenana River starting at mile marker 239 of the Parks Highway, according to an update from the Bureau of Land Management Alaska Fire Service. The fire, which grew from 20 acres to about 300 acres in a matter of hours, was not immediately threatening any structures, Denali National Park officials said in a statement.

As of 4 p.m., the BLM Alaska Fire Department said skydivers were reporting the fire was “100 percent active” and that while it was growing quickly, it still remained west of the track railed and far from a commercial area in the Nenana River canyon.

“Air tankers, an air tanker and helicopters are working to keep the fire west of the railroad tracks and away from populated areas,” fire officials said. Twenty-two parachute firefighters responded to the Riley Fire, according to the BLM Alaska Fire Department, and Tri-Valley and McKinley Village volunteer firefighters were among the agencies involved in the initial response.

In the park, westbound tour bus and transit service was halted and authorities closed nearby trails and public facilities, such as the Denali Visitor Center, said park officials. Day visitors who were west of the park's entrance area were moved to the east, the park said.

Smoke could be seen from Glitter Gulch, a popular destination for visitors looking for shopping, dining and lodging.

Nearly 130 members of the Golden Valley Electric Association lost power in the Glitter Gulch area, and the utility said on Facebook that it believed the outage was caused by the fire, though it was not yet clear whether electrical structures were damaged or whether system protections triggered the outage. Power line maintenance crews were en route to the area to assess power line facilities, and delays in restoring power could be possible if damage is sustained, Golden Valley Electric said.

With hot and dry conditions in some areas, other fires continued to burn and more broke out across the state.

In Mat-Su, firefighters continued Sunday to fight the Montana Creek fire, which started the day before. The fire, located about 16 miles south of Talkeetna and near mile marker 95 of the Parks Highway, grew from a quarter-acre Saturday afternoon to 172 acres Sunday, according to an update from the Division of Alaska Forests and Fire Protection. An outbuilding was destroyed by the fire, firefighters reported.

Federal, state and local municipalities responded to the fire with helicopters, scooper and retardant aircraft and hand crews, among other resources. Aerial assets were able to help cool the fire's perimeter and slow its spread enough to allow fire crews to “construct a direct handline and install hoses where it is safe to do so,” officials said. firefighters.

Authorities asked residents along the Leroy Davie Road and Montana Creek Road corridors to prepare to evacuate as soon as possible, although no evacuation orders have been issued.

Smoke continued to affect traffic along Parks Highway Sunday, and authorities asked drivers to slow down and use caution between mile markers 94 and 100 to allow personnel to safely respond to the fire.

On the Kenai Peninsula, another fire reported Saturday afternoon continued to burn Sunday about 20 miles (32 kilometers) south of Soldotna, according to the Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection. The Tustumena Lake fire, which was last reported at 50 acres (22 hectares), posed no threat to the public Sunday afternoon, fire officials said.

A helicopter crew shuttle brought firefighters to the area Saturday, and after parachutists aided in suppression efforts, firefighters requested air support from retardant and water-recovery aircraft, officials said. fire officials.

People in the Tustumena Lake Road corridor will continue to see smoke and air resources in the area, state fire officials said, noting that the Slackwater boat launch on the Kasilof River has been closed for fire operations.

Due to hot, dry conditions in Interior Alaska on Sunday, several fires continued to burn in the region.

The McDonald Fire remained active, covering more than 145,000 acres as an initial attack team and several emergency response teams responded Sunday, the BLM Alaska Fire Department said in a statement. up to date. “Over the next few days, firefighters will continue to look for opportunities to slow or contain the fire as the perimeter continues to expand,” the BLM Alaska Fire Department said.

The weather is expected to cool down from Sunday evening and help slow the fire.

For more information on wildfires in Alaska, visit akfireinfo.com.