About 20 homes damaged in the Mukluk Fire at Tok, some belonging to the firefighters

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 Tuesday afternoon.

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

The division cautioned that the damage count is early and could change as crews assess, and that additional structures remain threatened.

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

A community meeting is set for 7 pm Tuesday at the Tok Dog Mushers Association, and the division says it will be recorded and posted afterward.

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, passed 1,500 acres by that evening and nearly doubled again Tuesday afternoon. The agency attributes the growth to strong winds and extreme fire behavior.

Eleven more smokejumpers parachuted to the fire Tuesday, and a wildland fire crew from Yukon, Canada is among the responding resources. Air tankers and water-scooping aircraft are traveling to Tok, helicopters are running water drops along the southern edge where the homes are, and an incident management team is on its way to coordinate the response.

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.

The division has not stated a cause and has released no containment figure. It says the fire is most active on its northern and northeastern sides and has not reached the Tanana River. The Alaska Highway remains open as of Tuesday afternoon.

Statewide, 380 fires have burned 78,310 acres this year. At 5,533 acres, the Mukluk Fire accounts for about 7% of Alaska's 2026 total after two days.