Nenana Ridge Complex Update
Aug. 3, 2025
Bonanza Creek Fire (#238): 12,572 acres, 22% containment
Goldstream Creek Fire (#270): 20,471 acres, 47% containment
Personnel: 123
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: A ridge of high pressure continues to bring warm and mainly dry conditions to the Interior. Temperatures Saturday were a few degrees cooler than Friday with a bit more cloud cover. Temperatures are expected to continue to cool slightly each day through Tuesday as the ridge weakens. Increasing thunderstorm activity is expected Sunday and Monday.
Fire Update: Heavy equipment is still working in the Little Goldstream Community. Firefighters in UTVs are investigating reported hot spots along the Toghotthele Road. A road grader has started working on Skinny Dick’s Logging Road. The road surface is still too wet on the Nenana Ridge Road so the grader working there is cleaning out the ditches, pulling material onto the road surface. On East Nenana Ridge Road, an excavator is breaking apart dozer berms and opening drainage to allow the road surface to dry before it can be graded. Resource Advisors (READ) are inspecting repair work to firelines and spike camps along the southeastern portion of Goldstream Creek Fire. READs are technical specialists who advise on the protection of natural and cultural resources during wildland fire incidents. They helped to develop the suppression repair plan and will see that its specifications are met. Unmanned Aerial Systems are still being used to locate areas still holding heat. This drone, with infrared cameras, is working along the northern and southern flanks of the Bonanza Creek Fire. Fire engines are still patrolling the fire area looking for hot spots and mitigating hazards.
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
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 file of this update, click here.
Public Information Line: (907) 331-0454
Email: 2025.nenanaridgecomplex@firenet.gov
Categories: Active Wildland Fire, Alaska DNR - Division of Forestry (DOF)
Alaska Wildland Fire Information 