Progress made on Nenana Ridge Complex suppression repair

By 2025 Nenana Ridge Complex on August 2, 2025

Bonanza Creek Fire (#238): 12,572 acres, 22% containment

Goldstream Creek Fire (#270): 20,471 acres, 47% containment

Personnel: 145

Forest roads in the Nenana Ridge Complex have restricted access. Only fire personnel will be allowed access to these areas due to ongoing fire activities. The following roads and any connecting roads fall under this road restriction; Nenana Ridge Road, Bonanza Creek Road, Maisch Logging Road and the Skinny Dick’s logging roads.

Evacuation Information: All evacuation levels were downgraded Monday, July 28th by the Fairbanks North Star Borough and the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management for the Nenana Ridge Complex.

🟢 Level 1 ‘READY’:

Inside the borough:
- Zones include Standard Cache, Skinny Dick’s Logging Road, Parks Highway MP 325- MP 338, Bonanza Creek Forestry Area and Nenana Ridge Forestry Road.

Outside the Borough:
- From the borough’s western edge, 4.5 miles west; from Sled Road north for 7 miles from the Alaska Railroad. This includes Standard Creek Road and nearby timber harvest access areas. The areas west of the highway corridor from MP 317 to the borough boundary.
- The areas east of the highway corridor from MP 311 to the borough boundary and to the Tanana River east of the Maich Logging Rd.

Fire Weather: The high-pressure system with warm dry conditions will remain over the Central Interior through early next week. Scattered showers are possible over the weekend with temperatures from the upper-60s to mid-70s. Relative humidity will remain moderate through the weekend around 40%. Southwest, south winds will be light and variable.

Fire Update: Suppression repair continues in Little Goldstream Community. Excavators are making progress spreading vegetative material over the indirect dozer line west of the Bonanza Creek Fire. Road graders have started smoothing out the Nenana Ridge Road from the Parks Highway, south through the burned area. An excavator is working along East Nenana Ridge Road ahead of the road grader. Nulato Hills crew is working along the southeastern portion of Goldstream Creek Fire rehabbing firelines and spike camps. Unmanned Aerial Systems are still being used to locate areas still holding heat. This drone, with infrared cameras, can map the locations making it easier for firefighters to locate and extinguish them.

Vegetative material has been pulled back over a dozer line near the Little Goldstream community Friday, Aug. 1, 2025. This work is done to reduce erosion and runoff. Scattering slash on disturbed areas helps promote regrowth, which is essential for stabilizing the soil and providing habitat. DOF Photo

Heavy equipment, hazard trees, ash pits, and highway traffic remain potential hazards. As hunting season approaches, hunters and recreators are asked to stay out of the fire areas due to ongoing safety concerns. Crews are still actively engaged in firefighting operations.

No Drone Zone: Flying drones near wildfires is illegal and extremely dangerous, often leading to the grounding of firefighting aircraft and potentially causing harm to firefighters and property. A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place over the Nenana Ridge Complex. For more information go to https://tfr.faa.gov

An unmanned aerial system pilot performs his preflight checks Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, on the Nenana Ridge Complex. The drone is being used to find areas of heat along the fire’s edge. It is also being used to map the perimeter and fire control lines. DOF Photo

Road Safety: As you drive the Parks Highway, you may not see much activity, but crews are working deeper in the fire area and are still accessing these areas via the highway. Please use extra caution and watch for firefighters and equipment, especially from MP 318 to 340. Pilot car operations are taking place through an active construction zone unrelated to fire activities. For more information about this construction project go to: https://dot.alaska.gov/nreg/parks319to325/. For real-time road updates, visit 511.alaska.gov.

More Information: For official updates, visit Alaska Wildland Fire Information at akfireinfo.com or follow facebook.com/AK.Forestry.

For the interactive Alaska Wildland Fire Information Map Series go here: https://arcg.is/1a0yT03

For video briefings and more fire-related content from the Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection, visit our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@AlaskaDNRDOF

For a PDF copy of this update, click here.

Public Information Line: (907) 331-0454
Email: 2025.nenanaridgecomplex@firenet.gov