Crews deploy to protect Native allotment near Tatlanika Fire

The Tatlanika Fire was being left to burn. A remote wildfire discovered June 20 near the Tatlanika River, it was placed under a "limited" designation that lets remote Alaska fires run their natural course unless they threaten people, property or protected land. It has since grown nearly 30-fold — from 982 acres in early July to 28,168 now — and pushed close enough to a single Native allotment that crews are now on the ground protecting it.

The Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection has flown in 14 firefighters and a fire medic over the past week to camp on site and cut an indirect line around the fire, which is burning about 2.25 miles from the allotment. Native allotments carry full protection status even inside let-burn zones — the same reason smokejumpers and the Chena Hotshots were sent to the Canyon Fire west of Rampart in June.

The fire has been growing toward the allotment along its west flank, where winds up to 25 mph and unbroken fuels line up with the parcel. A helicopter and a hired boat support the crews. As of Saturday, the fire was 5 percent contained.

No evacuations have been ordered, and the division says no communities or other infrastructure are currently threatened. Smoke has been visible this season from Fairbanks, Anderson and Delta.