The Bureau of Land Management Eastern Interior Field Office temporarily closed the western portion of the White Mountains National Recreation Area on Wednesday due to a wildfire. The closure includes trails, public use cabins, trail shelters, and the Wickersham Dome Trailhead at Mile 28 of the Elliott Highway, north of Fairbanks.
The roughly 20-acre Obrien Fire (#172) is burning 1 mile west of the Yaeger’s Cabin and between the Summit and Wickersham Creek trails.
The following BLM trails are closed:
- Wickersham Creek Trail
- Trail Creek Trail (between the junction with Wickersham Creek Trail and the junction with Moose Creek Trail)
- Moose Creek Trail
- Summit Trail
The following BLM public use cabins and shelters are closed:
- Lee’s Cabin
- Eleazar’s Cabin
- Yeager’s Cabin
- Moose Creek Cabin
- Summit Trail Shelter
- Wickersham Creek Trail Shelter
The fire was first spotted Tuesday by a firefighter aboard a BLM Alaska Fire Service helicopter while transporting the Midnight Sun Hotshots to the nearby Bridge Fire, located 2 miles east of Mile 52 on the Elliott Highway.
On Wednesday, two smokejumpers demobilizing from the nearby Tatalina Fire (#148) stopped at Yeager’s Cabin to clear brush and stage equipment in case structure protection is needed.
By midday, fire activity increased, prompting fire managers to plan additional protection measures. A helicopter is scheduled to fly over the area tonight to better assess fire behavior and proximity to the cabin. Fire managers will use this information to determine whether to mobilize additional firefighters to protect the cabin.
The fire has the potential to reach the Summit Trail within the next 24 hours and could soon threaten nearby public use cabins. It is currently burning just east of the area affected by the 2024 Globe Fire.
Click on this link for a copy of the Fire Closure Order.
Categories: Active Wildland Fire, BLM Alaska Fire Service, BLM Eastern Interior Field Office
Alaska Wildland Fire Information 