Crews dig out buried hotspot near Tok home as Mukluk Fire hits 70% containment

Heat that had been smoldering inside a buried log near a Midnight Sun Drive home for several weeks was dug out and extinguished Friday morning, the Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire Protection said.

An engine and members of the Tanana Chiefs Conference Type 2 Initial Attack Crew, a hand crew, responded after smoke was seen rising from a berm of soil, logs and vegetation. Crews removed and cut apart the logs, applied water, and cleared an area roughly 10 feet wide, 30 feet long and 4 feet deep to reach the remaining heat.

The Mukluk Fire stands at 7,339 acres and 70% containment. Thirty-one personnel are assigned, down from 361 in late August. The fire started Aug. 17 and burned into residential neighborhoods west of Tok. A structure assessment released Aug. 30 confirmed 50 single residences and 108 outbuildings destroyed. The state's assistance portal is open through Oct. 19: 1-844-445-7131 or ready.alaska.gov/Recovery/IA. Evacuation orders were lifted Aug. 29, and a Type 3 team ran the fire until Labor Day; Incident Commander Matt Durfey's local Type 4 organization took over Sept. 8.

More buried heat is expected. Rain and cooler temperatures cool exposed fuels but may not reach heat inside logs, roots and berms, DFFP said.

Residents who see fire or smoke are told to call 911, not the local forestry office. The fire information line is 907-505-0362, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Fire managers are urging hunters and residents to stay outside the fire perimeter, particularly north of Red Fox Drive and near the uncontained northern edge. Falling trees, ash pits and unstable ground remain, and DFFP says recent wind and rain have further weakened burned trees, many with no root support left.

Fire season in the Delta, Tok and Copper River protection areas remains in effect through 11:59 p.m. Monday, Sept. 14. Burn permits are still required until then.