Cold and rainy weather has slowed the wildfires that have been raging in Interior Alaska since late last week. Firefighters gained some ground overnight, but the fires threatening neighborhoods in Healy, Tok, and parts of Fairbanks are by no means out.
Sam Harrel, a spokesperson for the Alaska Division of Forestry, says that under the long summer sun, the forest is still like a tinderbox.
“It's very dry, extremely dry, in some places, and will take a substantial amount of rain before that duff layer won't burn anymore,” he said. “And so this is just a respite.”
Officials still don’t know how many structures have been lost, but Harrel says the Bear Creek Fire near Healy has burned several homes and outbuildings in its path.
In Healy, at least 100 residents have been asked to evacuate. Evacuation orders for about 200 households in Fairbanks are still in effect.
Firefighters are also getting ready for more fires that could be started by thunderstorms that will move through the area in the second half of the week.
Alekya Srinivasan, a forecaster with the National Weather Service, said the main potential for thunderstorms covered an area from the Canadian border west to the central Interior.
Meanwhile, federal fire crews have been arriving from the Lower 48 to help contain the state’s two top-priority wildfires, which are threatening Healy and neighborhoods north of Fairbanks.
Fairbanks Borough Mayor Grier Hopkins says that’s been a game-changer.
“It brings in a lot more resources and cooperation, and they're still working really closely with our local people here on the ground to make sure that our local knowledge is getting to the firefighters coming in from outside,” he said.
Air quality has been slow to improve around Fairbanks and Healy, but recent rains have brought down Fairbanks’ rating from “unhealthy” to “moderate.” The Fairbanks North Star Borough has opened a breathing room at the local public library for people seeking respite from the smoke.