State fire officials say a wildfire in the eastern Interior Alaska community of Tok has damaged 20 homes and is still growing. The Mukluk Fire broke out shortly before noon in the backyard of a home on Monday, prompting evacuation orders for the north side of town. By late Tuesday afternoon it had grown to about 4.5 square miles.
Tok resident Robert Nelson fled the fire with his family yesterday with only a basket of spare clothes and a few photos. He says his home, and those of several of his neighbors, were completely destroyed.
“One minute our homes were there, the next minute they're gone,” he said. “It looks like a bomb went off. The fire was so hot it just went through, and the entire properties are just gray ash.”
GO-level evacuations are underway on the north side of town, from Mackenzie Trail to Fifth Street. Officials are encouraging evacuees to go to the local Mushers Hall and the Tok School. Pets are being accepted in both locations.
The Alaska Highway remained open as of this afternoon.
Sam Harrel, a spokesperson for the Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection, said in a brief phone interview Tuesday that he couldn’t say to what extent the homes had been damaged. But he cautioned people to avoid the area entirely so that firefighters can work safely.
An Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection press release also said the area is unsafe, with downed power lines, weakened trees and conditions that could change quickly.
Harrel said over 100 firefighters from around the state are working to control the main fire as well as new flareups nearby.
On Monday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency authorized funds to fight the Mukluk Fire. A FEMA news release said that in addition to homes and businesses, the fire is threatening critical infrastructure like Tok’s power plant and airport, as well as communications towers and the Alaska Highway.