© Constantine GregoryWildfires continue to burn near Alaska Highway, Southwest Alaska
According to Department of Natural Resources spokesman Jim Schwarber, the Long Lake Fire -- roughly two miles south of Northway Village - is up to 9,000 acres in size, as of 11 a.m. Monday.
Smoke from these fires will be affecting visibility along the Alaska Highway between Tok and the Canadian border. Motorists are urged to drive with lights on and slow down when visibility is poor or firefighting equipment is present. Flaggers and pilot cars may be used when conditions call for their use in order to keep traffic moving safely through the area affected by the fire.
"This extremely fast-moving fire is currently heading southeast away from Northway and is six miles west of the Alaska Highway," fire officials wrote. "The Long Lake Fire and nearby Moose Creek Fire that started Friday afternoon quickly burned together. The Moose Lake Fire was 80 percent contained with dozer lines when the Long Lake Fire started nearby."
The Long Lake Fire, as well as the 33,805-acre Chisana River Fire roughly 30 miles south, both came under the command of a Type 3 incident management team as of 7 a.m. Monday. Although Chisana is now the state's largest wildfire, its isolated nature has caused fire crews to avoid taking it on unless it threatens property or human lives.
"Federal land managers have opted to let the fire take its natural course, as fire in the boreal forest of Alaska is an essential process that restores ecosystem health and helps to maintain species diversity," fire officials wrote.
Smoke from both fires is expected to affect Alaska Highway traffic from Tok to the Canadian border, with drivers asked to slow down as well as expect the use of flaggers and pilot cars when necessary.
"Firefighting efforts today will be focused on keeping the fire south of the Northway Airport and putting into place protective measures for any structures that are at risk from this fire," fire officials wrote. "Fire managers are working to limit impacts from this fire to the community and travelers along the adjacent Alaska Highway corridor."
In Interior Alaska, the Associated Press reported Monday that six homes were destroyed Sunday in a two-fire complex sparked by lightning south of Nenana. Another small new fire was alsk burning just outside of the Yukon River village of Nulato.
© Constantine Gregory
"In Southwest Alaska, nearly all of the current fires were ignited by lightning -- a couple dozen of them in the last two days," fire officials wrote. "Thunderstorms are forecast for the next two days, so more wildfires are expected in Southwest and elsewhere."
Fire resources have been stretched thin by the state's 146 active wildfires as of Saturday -- with more fires expected in the Southwest region.
"Choosing where to put scarce resources is aided by the Alaska system that has identified, in advance, the protection priorities of various locations," fire officials wrote. "Firefighters, equipment and supplies are seldom sent to 'Limited' protection areas. However, if structures or other critical properties near a Limited area are threatened, actions to protect those specific places are often ordered."
In Southwest Alaska, fire crews have been deployed to seven staffed fires, with only two near Sleetmute and Nikolai contained. The others -- the Soda Creek fire near Nikolai, the Village Creek Fire near the village of Crooked Creek, the Whitefish 1 Fire near Lower Kalskag, the Scow Creek Fire near Medfra and the Iditarod River Fire near the historic site of Iditarod -- are still being battled by firefighters.
Crews are also tracking four high-interest fires in the region, including the 22,605-acre Can Creek Fire north of Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, as well as 13 fires of interest.
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