Lightning fire burns 200 acres in Kanuti refuge, 20% contained

A lightning-caused wildfire inside Kanuti National Wildlife Refuge has burned an estimated 159 to 200 acres of peat, tundra, and pockets of black spruce. Containment stands at 20% as of the latest agency update. Mapped views show evolving size estimates across that range.

The Konedsin Minnkohwin Fire was spotted at 4:09 p.m. Friday in the Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, roughly 21 miles east of Allakaket and about 40 miles west of the Dalton Highway. Smokejumpers and aircraft are on scene. No immediate threat has been reported to nearby communities along the Dalton Highway or in Allakaket.

"The fire is burning in protected critical caribou habitat, and the current strategy is to hold the fire within its current footprint while minimizing impacts to sensitive resources," Alaska Interagency Wildland Fire Management said in a Friday incident update.

The new start comes after a summer of intense statewide lightning activity. A single day in late June produced more than 7,000 cloud-to-ground strikes across Alaska and sparked 11 new wildfires, according to the National Weather Service in Fairbanks. Those conditions continue to produce remote ignitions across the state.