New fire near Bettles strains crews

Twelve smokejumpers parachuted into the bush northeast of Bettles late Wednesday to get ahead of a new fire — the latest in a wave of Interior wildfires straining crews thin as lightning keeps lighting the dry north.

The Mailbox Fire, about 200 acres, is burning in remote spruce near the Dalton Highway corridor, roughly 16 miles from Bettles. Crews found it throwing heavy smoke, and managers have requested air support if the clouds lift enough to allow it. The timing is bad: Red Flag Warnings are up across the Koyukuk valleys, meaning warm air, bone-dry humidity, and wind are lining up for fast fire growth.

The bigger story is the squeeze. The Mailbox Fire is one of many the U.S. Wildland Fire Service has been hitting with aggressive initial attack all month, and there simply aren't enough crews and aircraft to throw everything at all of them. That tradeoff is playing out in real time nearby: on the Betula Fire, managers just downgraded from full suppression to protecting only specific structures, freeing resources to chase fires that more directly threaten lives and property. With more lightning in the forecast and the northern Interior still tinder-dry, those choices are only going to get harder.

For travelers, the practical note is to watch for and yield to firefighting traffic on Interior highways.