Rain showers and higher humidity helped crews gain ground on a wildfire north of Fairbanks Sunday.
According to a state Division of Forestry report, the Any Creek Fire was started by lightning Saturday and prompted evacuation readiness alerts in some subdivisions in the Old Murphy Dome Road area. Forestry says rain subsequently slowed activity, and 130 firefighters, with help from water dropping aircraft, were able to make progress toward containing the 50 acre fire Sunday.
Meanwhile, crews battling the 12 thousand-acre Isom Creek Fire along the Dalton Highway and Yukon River, were bracing for new growth as high winds were expected to hit the fire area late yesterday.
New blazes are expected to crop up after another round of thunderstorms was forecast late yesterday in an area spanning from the Fortymile uplands, north to the White and Ray Mountains, Upper Koyukuk Valley, and Yukon Flats.