Interior wind event hits highways as the Mukluk Fire burns near Tok

The winds that pushed the Mukluk Fire near Tok on Monday were part of a broader Interior wind event, and forecasters warned they could also stir up the Tatlanika fire.

The National Weather Service in Fairbanks tied the winds to gap flow as a Bering Sea low pushed north.

Drivers crossing Isabel Pass on the Richardson Highway faced gusts to 75 mph under a High Wind Warning that ran from 11 pm Sunday through midnight Monday, following earlier advisories this month for 55 mph gusts on Aug. 14 and 60 mph gusts since. A separate Wind Advisory covered Windy Pass along the Parks Highway and the Delta Junction area, with gusts to 65 mph. Winds that strong make driving difficult, forecasters said, especially for high-profile vehicles, and can blow around unsecured objects, bring down tree limbs and cause power outages.

Near Tok, a Red Flag Warning for the Upper Tanana Valley ran until 7 pm Monday, with humidity as low as 20 percent, gusts to 30 mph and unseasonably warm highs in the mid to upper 70s.

The Mukluk Fire was reported shortly before noon Monday off the Alaska Highway near Sundog Trail and grew to about 20 acres, forcing Level 3 GO evacuations north of the highway. Evacuees were directed to Mushers Hall. A downed power line was arcing at the scene, and Alaska State Troopers and local firefighting resources responded.