Bear Creek Fire (#237): 26,047 acres
Saint George Creek Fire (#246): 20,369 acres
Total personnel on both fires is estimated to be around 250 (new crews are still arriving).
Join us at a community meeting! A community meeting will be held tonight, June 26 at the Tri-Valley School at 6 p.m. Fire managers will provide updates on operations and fire activity, and attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions. A recording will also be posted on the Denali Borough YouTube channel.
Scattered showers fell across the fire yesterday. The damp and cloudy conditions slowed the spread of surface fire and allowed crews to make good progress. Fire behavior is mostly smoldering and creeping. A warming and drying trend will begin today and continue through the weekend.
Bear Creek Fire. Bulldozer line from the Parks Highway to Anderson Road is being lined with pumps and hoselay to constrain the spread of the fire to the north and protect allotments and agricultural and residential areas. Uncrewed Aircraft System flights were completed yesterday in Bear Creek and June Creek to identify remaining heat sources around structures. Crews used that information to extinguish hot spots. They also laid hose and sprinklers to protect structures that could be threatened if the fire began to spread.
As the crews prepped structures in the area, they marked where they worked—sometimes with identifiers on paper plates at driveway entrances from the road. This is simply a way for them to efficiently communicate with each other about where they have completed work and where additional work needs to be done. It is a way for them to mark their progress and communicate it internally within the team.
Saint George Creek Fire. A new crew came in yesterday to continue structure protection and mop up in the Gold King Creek. An aerial damage assessment will be conducted today to document conditions and identify remaining heat sources. Fire activity in this area is minimal.
Evacuations remain in place and unchanged. The evacuation shelter has moved from the Baptist Church to the Tri-Valley School in Healy. For the most accurate information and evacuation status maps visit the Denali Borough website or Facebook page. You may also call or text the Denali Borough Fire Info line between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. at 907-378-7985.
Traffic control on the Parks Highway will remain in place for firefighter and motorist safety. Even though fire activity has decreased, there is still fire danger and heavy equipment working along the highway. Expect pilot car escorts and delays. Check road conditions on the Alaska Department of Transportation website.
If you fly, we can’t! A temporary flight restriction (FDC 5/8646) is in place for the fire area to protect firefighter safety. Drones are prohibited in this area; any use of drones will ground aircraft and may endanger firefighters.
More information: For information about the Bear Creek Fire and Saint George Creek Fire, call 907-318-2018.
Categories: Active Wildland Fire, AK Fire Info, Alaska DNR - Division of Forestry (DOF)
Alaska Wildland Fire Information 