Originally streamed live – McKinley Fire community meeting at the Willow Elementary School with fire and evacuation update. Post your questions along with the hundreds of other comments and we will strive to answer them during our daily live updates.

The Alaska Division of Forestry continues to assess the destruction caused by the McKinley Fire (#738) while also working to contain the wildfire that broke out along the Parks Highway near Talkeetna on Saturday.

As of Tuesday morning, the latest size estimate for the fire was 4,349 acres and state forestry officials estimated the structure loss between 50 and 80. Forestry personnel are working with the Alaska State Fire Marshal’s Office and Mat-Su Borough Emergency Operations to get an accurate count of burned structures.

Fire growth slowed on Monday and Tuesday with calmer winds and cooler temperatures, a weather trend that is expected to continue through the week. Fire personnel described the current fire behavior as “a backing surface fire.” However, occasional flareups and tree torching is occurring in the fire area and firefighters are actively patrolling and responding as needed. Night patrols are also being used to monitor fire activity overnight.

Categories: AK Fire Info