Fairbanks, AK - The Stuart Creek 2 Wildfire burning northeast of Fairbanks is 25 percent contained. But the more than 84 thousand acre blaze is still posing challenges for firefighters. Nearly 800 personnel are working to contain the fire. That includes 23 crews, 30 engines and 7 helicopters, among a host of other personnel and other equipment. Rainy weather this week slowed the fire’s rate of spread. But it also complicated the effort. Rain in some areas made roads impassable. Low cloud cover also prevented water dropping efforts on Wednesday. The fire is burning in a Military Impact Area and unexploded ordinances are also preventing firefighters from fighting the fire directly. National Weather Service Meteorologists John Lingus says warmer, drier weather over the weekend could cause the fire to flare up. “We have strong high pressure to the North building southward Friday into Saturday and it’s going to bring a lot warmer temperatures to the Interior,” he says.
Lingus says temperatures will be warmer than normal, but they won’t be as warmer as record highs the region experienced last month. He says variable winds may also stir up smoke in the region. "The winds will change over time. Today, we’ll have northeast winds, Saturday they’ll be fairly light and on Sunday, over the Upper Yukon Valley, the winds will be out of the Southwest.”
An evacuation watch remains in place for residents living between mile posts 16 and 34 along Chena Hot Springs road. The Tanana Valley Fairgrounds remain open to house livestock and other animals that belong to residents who have chosen to move them out of Two Rivers and Pleasant Valley.
Despite oncoming warm, dry weather, Fort Wainwright officials have reopened firewood cutting access on the main post. However, access for recreation activities and wood-cutting at the Yukon Training Area, where the Stuart Creek 2 fire is burning remains closed. A wood cutting ban and a fireworks ban for the Fairbanks North Star Borough, and on state lands in the central interior remains in place.