Recent cooler temperatures and periods of scattered rainfall have brought welcome relief to crews battling the Ninetyeight Fire (#218). The weather shift has enabled progress on fire containment and structure protection across key areas. Yesterday, the fire’s activity remained low, largely limited to smoldering and creeping behavior. Periods of moderate rain in the south and southwest zone helped dampen fire behavior allowing firefighters to bolster and secure containment lines. In the northern section of the fire, low cloud cover hampered visibility, limiting efforts. Meanwhile, crews in the east successfully completed structure protection work on Alaska Native allotments, with plans to begin new structure protective efforts today.
Today, crews will focus on reinforcing containment lines and removing woody debris along the Salcha River and southwest corner, initiating new structure protection on the eastern perimeter while maintaining previous efforts, and monitoring fire behavior near military assets in the north. Aerial support remains available, with water-dropping aircraft ready to respond as needed. According to fire managers, the forecast remains favorable for firefighting operations. Continued cooler temperatures and additional rain are expected, likely helping suppress the fire further. However, officials caution that the fire season is far from over, and the current moisture won’t be enough to end it.
Due to fire crews working in this area, Training Areas 315, 316, 317, and 318 in the Yukon Training Area (YTA) are closed. For public safety and the safety of fire personnel, please avoid this area until further notice.
A TFR is in place over the fire – view more at faa.gov.
The Bureau of Land Management has issued fire restrictions throughout the district. For more information, visit the BLM Alaska Fire Restrictions webpage or contact BLM at (907) 474-2200.
The Middle and Lower Salcha River evacuation levels remain at LEVEL 2 SET, which means be ready to leave at a moment’s notice. The Upper Salcha River remains at Level 1 (READY). Level 1 means “BE READY” for potential evacuation. The evacuation map and other information can be found on the Fairbanks North Star Borough Emergency Operations website at Fairbanks North Star Borough Emergency Operations.
Text WILDFIRES to 67283 to receive text notifications or go to: smart911.com
Additional information on wildfires across Alaska, including the Ninetyeight Fire, can be found at: akfireinfo.com or by calling: (907) 356-5511 and on Facebook (@BLMAFS).
Categories: Active Wildland Fire, AK Fire Info, BLM Alaska Fire Service
Alaska Wildland Fire Information 