Hotshots, smokejumpers respond to two uncontained Interior Alaska fires near Allakaket

The U.S. Wildland Fire Service is managing two uncontained Interior fires burning simultaneously near Allakaket and Wiseman, with smokejumpers and hotshot crews deployed across multiple incidents as lightning-caused starts continue across the region.

Two Fires, One Region

The Konedsin Minnkohwin Fire is burning 200 acres of peat, caribou lichen, and tundra inside Kanuti National Wildlife Refuge, about 40 miles west of the Dalton Highway and 21 miles east of Allakaket. The Chena Interagency Hotshots were released from the Siruk Fire 22 miles north of Allakaket before shuttling to the Konedsin Minnkohwin Fire to assess conditions and begin suppression operations. Firefighters achieved 20% containment Saturday after the U.S. Wildland Fire Service Chena Interagency Hotshots completed hose lay on the fire's western flank. Firefighters reported it now takes more water than before to penetrate the fuel because deeper ground layers are drying out. The strategy is to hold the fire within its current footprint while minimizing impacts to sensitive caribou habitat. The fire remains uncontained. Residents in Allakaket can expect increased helicopter activity as crews shuttle between the two fires in the area.

Nutmeg Fire

At Wiseman, satellite imagery put the Nutmeg Fire at 70 acres Friday afternoon, but fire managers said it had grown significantly by that evening. The fire is burning in an area designated as a Limited Management Option, where fires are typically monitored and allowed to play their natural ecological role unless they threaten values, communities, or other protected sites. Because of its proximity to the community of Wiseman, a large mining operation to the north, and its visibility from the Dalton Highway, fire managers sent two smokejumpers to the area to maintain a close watch on fire behavior and report real-time conditions. Their observations will help guide any actions needed to protect the community, the mine, nearby cabins, and archaeological sites.

Weather Window

Red Flag conditions covered both areas Saturday, with outflow winds gusting 35 to 50 mph near Wiseman and humidity as low as 25 percent. Cooler, wetter weather was predicted to arrive Saturday night, with a 90 percent chance of rain and calmer winds forecast for Sunday.