About 20 homes damaged as Mukluk Fire burns 5,533 acres near Tok

About 20 homes have been damaged by the Mukluk Fire at Tok, and some of them belong to the firefighters working the blaze. The Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection estimated the fire at 5,533 acres at 3:45 p.m. Tuesday.

"This fire is deeply personal for our Tok staff," the division said in its Tuesday update. "Members of our team, including local leadership, lost their own homes while continuing to support the response and their community."

The division cautioned that the damage count is early. "These numbers may change as crews gather more information and assess the damage," the agency said, adding that additional structures remain threatened.

The fire was reported shortly before noon Monday in the backyard of a residence off the Alaska Highway near Sundog Trail. It was about 20 acres within two hours, driven by winds of roughly 20 mph. By 7 p.m. Monday it had passed 1,500 acres, and by 9:30 a.m. Tuesday the division put it at roughly 3,000 acres. It nearly doubled again by that afternoon. The agency attributes the growth to strong winds and extreme fire behavior.

Level 3 GO evacuations remain in effect north of the Alaska Highway from Mackenzie Trail to East 5th Street, including Red Fox Drive. The division warns residents not to enter the fire area, citing active fire, downed powerlines, falling trees and hidden ash pits.

Help has come from a long way off. Eleven more smokejumpers parachuted to the fire Tuesday, a wildland fire crew from Yukon, Canada is among the responding resources, and air tankers and water-scooping aircraft are traveling to Tok. Helicopters are running water drops along the southern edge, where homes are. An incident management team has been ordered and is on its way to coordinate the response. The Chevak Fire Crew arrived Monday evening, and a temporary flight restriction over the fire area had been requested Monday as well.

The Incident Management Situation Report issued at 7:30 a.m. Mountain time Tuesday records National Preparedness Level 5, the highest, with 76 uncontained large fires and 21 complex incident management teams already committed nationally. That report predates Tuesday's growth and the damage assessment.

The National Interagency Fire Center's outlook issued Aug. 1 states that "normal significant fire potential is expected for Alaska during the next four months." Statewide, 380 fires have burned 78,310 acres this year, so at 5,533 acres the Mukluk Fire accounts for about 7% of Alaska's 2026 total after two days.

The division has not stated a cause beyond the location where the fire started. No containment figure has been released. The division says the fire is most active on its northern and northeastern sides and has not reached the Tanana River.

The evacuation shelter is Tok School. A community meeting is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Tok Dog Mushers Association, and the division says it will be recorded and posted afterward. The Alaska Highway remains open as of Tuesday afternoon.

Gov. Mike Dunleavy has activated state disaster assistance for the fire. Homeowners and renters in the Alaska Gateway REAA can apply for recovery grants through Oct. 19 at ready.alaska.gov or by calling 1-844-445-2044.

This account comes from the division's fire updates and a state disaster assistance release.