The Mukluk Fire has burned 50 homes, 108 outbuildings and more than 7,000 acres in the eastern Interior community of Tok since it started last month. But avenues of relief are opening up for residents as winter closes in.
In late August, Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s disaster declaration activated the state’s individual assistance program, which covers serious losses and necessary expenses not paid for by insurance. Jeremy Zidek, a spokesperson for the Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, said residents can apply for that relief until Oct. 19.
“We have 74 people that have registered for that program,” he said. “We think we captured most of the people that have been impacted, if not all. But if there are still some out there, they can apply.”
Zidek said the state program doesn’t cover business losses, but his department is documenting the damage in hopes that the federal Small Business Administration will offer some relief.
He said one of the biggest tasks ahead is removing and disposing of debris from the neighborhoods that burned, and that some volunteer groups are helping with the cleanup.
Team Rubicon, a veteran-led humanitarian program that sent 15 people to Tok, is helping residents prepare for winter.
“They're really assisting with construction of the Arctic shelters, and they've been working on getting firewood for people who lost their firewood,” Zidek said.
He said more information about how residents can get fire debris removed from their properties will become available in the coming days.
Rain showers and lower temperatures have helped firefighters make progress, but with hunting season underway, they’re warning hunters to stay out of the burned areas near the western edge of the fire. The fire season has been extended through Sept. 14 in the vicinity of Tok, Delta Junction and Copper River, which means burn permits are still required in those areas.