Over Two Million Acres

Fires expand in Alaska, now total over 2 million acres

Rainy Pass Fire (Photo by Alaska Division of Forestry Air Attack)

ANCHORAGE (KTUU) - The acres burned by wildfires in Alaska has now exceeded 2 million after dry weather in the past 48 hours caused many Southwest fires to expand.

Yesterdays conflagrations puts the total acreage at an estimated 2,056,337.5.

Among the biggest jumps was the Smith Creek Fire, which grew from about 12,000 acres to 53,108 acres, causing the evacuation of Donlin Gold mine on Tuesday. Managers there used heavy equipment to create a control line and conducted firing operations to defend the 80 structures in the area.

Over 10,000 lightning strikes in Southwest added six new fires to the 585 now recorded in the state this year. In Southwest Alaska alone, about 410,000 acres are burning.

The Lost Jack Fire (previously called the Salmonberry Fire) is one of the top priorities in Southwest. Eighteen smokejumpers and six helitack personnel are at work fighting the fire, which is only about 100 acres, but which is only three miles north of Nikolai, a village of about ninety people.

Fire Danger Remains High in Anchorage Area

ANCHORAGE (KTUU) - The burn ban continues in Anchorage despite the city getting some light rain Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. According to John See with the Anchorage Fire Department, the burn ban continues because the fuels—particularly beneath the tree canopy—remain dry. Basically, it will take more rain to dampen those fuels.

Though the clouds will stick around for most of the week, little rain is in the forecast.

Anchorage received .35 inches of rain during the overnight storm. This means the city has received .42 inches of rain for the month. The average by this point in July is 1.32 inches of rain. The last time Anchorage saw more than .1 inches of rain in a day was May 26, 2019.

The storm last night produced rain across most of Southcentral. Palmer and Wasilla each saw .8 inches of rain. Iliamna saw the most in Southcentral with 1.24 inches of rain. Kenai received .28 inches of rain.

US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Forest Service, and National Parks Service lifted campfire restrictions in the Kenai Peninsula area Wednesday.