Alaska will have zero staffed wildfires by Wednesday as rain moderates last three incidents

Rain across northern Alaska has moderated fire activity, allowing the U.S. Wildland Fire Service to complete objectives on the state's last three staffed wildland fires. There will be no staffed wildland fires anywhere in the state after Wednesday, when the final crew demobilizes from a fire that burned one mile outside the Koyukon Athabascan village of Kaltag. Unless conditions change significantly, Tuesday's update is expected to be the final public release for each of the three incidents.

The Notakok Fire ignited July 6 after a lightning strike touched down just outside Kaltag, a village on the Yukon River that relies heavily on subsistence and has limited evacuation routes. The North Star Fire Crew will complete one final hotspot grid search before leaving Wednesday. The 127-acre Nutmeg Fire, burning 5.5 miles northwest of Wiseman, was already down to isolated smoldering after rain and cooler weather moved in Monday, and its two smokejumpers have been released. The 160-acre Konedsin Minnkohwin Fire in the Kanuti National Wildlife Refuge, roughly 21 miles east of Allakaket, is transitioning to monitor status today after 33 personnel completed most suppression work. Crews noted ongoing bear interaction concerns throughout the operation.

All firefighters are returning to U.S. Wildland Fire Service facilities at Fort Wainwright. The agency said it will continue remote monitoring of all three fires.

What Comes Next

The quiet close does not mean the risk has passed. The National Interagency Fire Center's predictive services forecast normal significant fire potential for Alaska through October. "The public is encouraged to use caution with any activity that could produce sparks or heat, especially with during periods of warm, dry, or windy weather," the U.S. Wildland Fire Service said in its Tuesday release. The agency also reminded the public to never leave a fire unattended, make sure campfires are completely dead out, and avoid burning on windy days.